Buyers claim lux Tarrytown townhouse is flawed

A Tarrytown couple that claims their new, luxury riverfront condo is riddled with defects has sued the developer for nearly the same amount they paid for the place.

Robert and Margaret Giannattasio are demanding $1.2 million from Greenwich developer Joseph Cotter and HH River House II LLC, in a complaint filed on July 30 in Westchester Supreme Court, to fix the alleged problems.

One Lighthouse Way, as the condominium is called, is part of the Hudson Harbor development adjacent to the Tarrytown train station and Pierson Park.

The four-story condominium includes 43 apartments and four townhouses that were marketed as luxury residences, according to the complaint.

In March 2021, the Giannattasios agreed to buy a townhouse for $1,225,000.

One of the selling points was roof deck views of the Hudson River, with access by way of a rooftop shed or “doghouse.”

But after the doghouse was built, the complaint states, the Village of Tarrytown found that the structure violated the building code and had to be removed.

The developer replaced the doghouse with a motorized roof hatch. Before the couple closed on their purchase in January 2022, the hatch for their townhouse didn’t work during an inspection. The motor was not powerful enough, the couple claims, and water leakage around the hatch has damaged interior ceilings and walls.

They also say that the heating and ventilation system does not maintain specified temperatures, and during the winter the water in the bathtubs and showers starts out as hot but quickly turns cold because the hot water heater turns off.

The complaint also describes several “punch list” repairs, such as painting and touchups, cracked tiles and improperly sealed framing.

The Giannattasios claim that the developer has refused or failed to fix the alleged defects.

The lawsuit mirrors allegations made by the Lighthouse Condominium board of directors, in a complaint filed this past April in Westchester Supreme Court.

The condo board demanded $5 million, on behalf of owners, to fix a “laundry list of defects.” Neither HH River House nor Cotter have officially responded to the lawsuit on the public docket.

In the new lawsuit, the defendants did not reply to an email asking for their side of the story. The message was sent to National Resources, a Greenwich company that has developed projects worth more than $2 billion, according to its website, and with whom Cotter and HH River House II are affiliated.

The Giannattasios are represented by White Plains attorney Bruce Minkoff.