The case of the Rialto Apartments, an Orange County apartment building deemed unsafe for people to live in, heads to court on Thursday morning. The apartments were evacuated four months ago after a void opened up under the complex on Sand Lake Road. Some of the people who lived there are suing the apartments’ owners, claiming negligence, breach of contract, and failure to meet building codes.
Background
The apartments were evacuated back in March when people living there heard popping noises. Then some couldn’t open their doors to get out. The building had shifted, so the doors were stuck and first responders worried the building would collapse. Photos from an engineering firm show a 15-foot-wide gap under the building and a mix of grout they pumped into it to try to fill it.
Two former residents filed a lawsuit against the owner, Northland Rialto, that could become a residential class action suit. The law firm for the residents believes if the case is moved to business court, it would be more favorable to Rialto’s owner. Northland’s lawyers are asking the judge to move the case from a regular civil court to a business court, a special division in the court system set up to handle complex cases involving contracts and disputes between companies.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
