While it broke ground in early summer 2019 to great fanfare and economic optimism, the East Windsor, Connecticut Connect55+ property’s parent company is currently facing over $1 million in mechanics liens.
The retirement village is an approximately eight-acre, three-story 55-and-over adult community with one-to-two-bedroom apartments — including amenities such as common lounge areas, gyms, libraries — designed to keep older generations lively and engaged.
According to the Hartford Business Journal, developer Calamar Construction claimed the continuing-care community was claimed as a $16 million investment to the city. However, after completion, a variety of construction parties who worked on the project have yet to see their share of their overdue work payment — and have recently taken legal action against the property and its owners.
According to court documents, from a period between early January and late February 2021, 11 liens from 10 contracting firms were filed against the property.
A mechanics lien is a legal tool that helps builders claim a security interest on a property title due to unpaid construction work. Once filed, the claim is affixed to the property itself and can hinder a property’s sale or refinancing until the unpaid party is compensated.
Continuing-care community faces 10 liens
On January 6, 2021, the Butler Company first filed a lien against RM Holdings, LLC, the listed owners of the 20 North Road property and managed by Calamar Chairman and CEO, Kenneth Franasiak. The claim valued the contractors work at East Windsor’s Connect55+ as much as $228,314.08.
On the following day, both Jac Technologies Inc. and JSL Asphalt Inc. filed against the community for $97,112.00 and $174,561.66 respectively.
Not too long afterward, a lien totaling $204,725.00 was levied against Connect55+ by way of CE-Electrical Contractors LLC on January 8. Unlimited Carpentry Corp was next to follow suit, seeking to collect $414,498.95 in a lien fielded on January 11, and Connecticut Ready Mix LLC sought $33,797.58 ten days later.
The Connect55+ property sustained four other mechanics liens for services and materials. They include Stafford Mechanical Materials LLC’s claim of $96,585.55 filed also on February 6, CT Masons LLC’s February 9 claim of $6,111.15 Firetop Associates Inc.’s $48,693.44 on February 12, and Independent Materials Testing Laboratories Inc.’s $11,594 on February 16.
Only one lien — that of Jac Technologies — has yet to be released at time of reporting. Full payment was reportedly made on January 15. Another lien, filed by Unlimited Carpentry Group, was released before later being refiled for a reduced $228,498.95 on February 6.
Calamar has history of liens and legal hurdles
These latest liens are just the latest in more recent legal battles involving Calamar Construction. The company is still entangled in a 2019 complaint from the NYP Drywall Corporation in the Supreme Court of New York over $493,334.78 in unaddressed liens, while also concerned with a Notice of Breach earlier this year from Donald Tanguay Inc. over Calamar’s lack of $87,000 payment to satisfy a Settlement Agreement between the two where the payment would result in the release of a lien field by Tanguay on a project for approximately $100,600.
Although the defendant in many of these challenges, Calamar is similarly seeking unpaid dues with their 2020 complaint against Maryland’s DD&B Construction Inc. over almost one million $994,589.50 of their own work on a Dobbs Ferry, New York project in 2018 according to a state court filing.
Before the one lien refiling for an abridged amount, Calamar’s lien claims total lien claims this year on the East Windsor property reached $1,544,872.97.
According to its Levelset contractor payment profile, Calamar currently holds a payment score of “F,” or 0/100. This score is currently based off feedback from 11 contractors’ experiences.