Miami Building Collapse

[Sousaclone]

Damn, just keeps getting worse with more information. Now 150 plus missing.

Yeah. It's not going to get any better.

You couldn't pick a worse time for a residential building to collapse than 2 AM. Pretty much full occupancy and nobody is awake to catch any of the potential warning signs.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Yeah. It's not going to get any better.

You couldn't pick a worse time for a residential building to collapse than 2 AM. Pretty much full occupancy and nobody is awake to catch any of the potential warning signs.

Only positive is that supposedly a good number of residents the condo is their second home so may not be there.

 

[alarson]

Obviously this is a tragedy and a horror for those killed and injured...

But I am assuming a renter's or owner's insurance for a condo covers the loss, right?

Not sure how "the ******* building fell over" gets adjusted.

I would assume it would cover it, and the insurance companies will be involved in suing anyone perceived to be at fault to recoup some of those claims.

Was thinking about that yesterday as well. Some of the ones who survived (by not being there, being extricated, etc) will be told theyre 'lucky', and in some respects they are compared to those who died, but for all of them this will still probably be one of the worst days of their lives, losing everything they had in those condos, friends they may have had there, plus probably a decent amount with survivors guilt.

 

[Sigmapolis]

I would assume it would cover it, and the insurance companies will be involved in suing anyone perceived to be at fault to recoup some of those claims.

Was thinking about that yesterday as well. Some of the ones who survived (by not being there, being extricated, etc) will be told theyre 'lucky', and in some respects they are compared to those who died, but for all of them this will still probably be one of the worst days of their lives, losing everything they had in those condos, friends they may have had there, plus probably a decent amount with survivors guilt.

Yeah, nobody comes out better for this.

Being alive is nice. But being homeless, all your stuff being destroyed, and broke until what will probably be a pretty long and complex insurance situation/litigation works itself out sucks, too.

 

[jsb]

Yeah. It's not going to get any better.

You couldn't pick a worse time for a residential building to collapse than 2 AM. Pretty much full occupancy and nobody is awake to catch any of the potential warning signs.

Th we son of a woman who was in the building said that she told him that she had heard creaking noises in the days prior.

 

[Clark]

Th we son of a woman who was in the building said that she told him that she had heard creaking noises in the days prior.

Yeah something like this doesn't actually "come out of nowhere" There are always signs, the problem is it's often after the tragedy occurred that we realize that those were signs.

I'm sure this property is run by a management company but I wouldn't want to be the owner right now. He/She is going to have lawsuits all over the place both as defendant and plaintiff.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with Sig that nobody comes out better for this because the Miami area attorney's are going to be very busy

 

[SCNCY]

Yeah something like this doesn't actually "come out of nowhere" There are always signs, the problem is it's often after the tragedy occurred that we realize that those were signs.

I'm sure this property is run by a management company but I wouldn't want to be the owner right now. He/She is going to have lawsuits all over the place both as defendant and plaintiff.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with Sig that nobody comes out better for this because the Miami area attorney's are going to be very busy

If this is a condo, I would bet that the HOA board will be on the hook. What did they know and what did they do to prevent (or not) this problem. I could see a scenario where the part time residents of this building voted to keep HOA dues low in order to keep the cost of their second home low, thus allowing for deferred maintenance to go deferred longer. Similar thing happens in Newport, RI; there are enough vacation homes here were property taxes are low for the local school because of the part time residents.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

If this is a condo, I would bet that the HOA board will be on the hook. What did they know and what did they do to prevent (or not) this problem. I could see a scenario where the part time residents of this building voted to keep HOA dues low in order to keep the cost of their second home low, thus allowing for deferred maintenance to go deferred longer. Similar thing happens in Newport, RI; there are enough vacation homes here were property taxes are low for the local school because of the part time residents.

First lawsuit has been filed and it is against the HOA.

 

[Clark]

First lawsuit has been filed and it is against the HOA.

Holy **** that's quick

 

[Cloneon]

Holy **** that's quick

Lots of ambulance chasers, I'm sure, standing on the sideline. Sad, win or lose, they stand to gain.

 

[jsb]

Lots of ambulance chasers, I'm sure, standing on the sideline. Sad, win or lose, they stand to gain.

To be fair, a building collapsing like that is a very legitimate reason to sue.

 

[tim_redd]

I worry about all the possible corners that were cut in my own little house.

 

[CascadeClone]

Every single person that stepped foot inside the building that was an owner, contractor, painter, maid, even the damn pool boy from 1981 to now is gonna be named in the lawsuit

No not everyone. Just the ones with money. You don't sue someone with no money, its a waste of time. Also, money.

 

[Clark]

To be fair, a building collapsing like that is a very legitimate reason to sue.

well yeah, but generally you wait to see what the cause is beforehand. Just public relations wise you'd think they'd want to wait until all the people are accounted for.

This is going to be a class action suit I would imagine so I guess I don't see the reasoning to hurry but I'm not an attorney so *shrug*

 

[jsb]

well yeah, but generally you wait to see what the cause is beforehand. Just public relations wise you'd think they'd want to wait until all the people are accounted for.

This is going to be a class action suit I would imagine so I guess I don't see the reasoning to hurry but I'm not an attorney so *shrug*

You’re probably right for such a quick one.

But I do think that sometimes you have to file suit before claiming certain things for insurance.

 

[cycloneML]

First lawsuit has been filed and it is against the HOA.

That is a fool’s errand. HOAs are skeleton organizations with no money.

 

[RonBurgundy]

That is a fool’s errand. HOAs are skeleton organizations with no money.

Yea, I don't get that strategy. The building's owner is likely the only one that has pockets worth pursuing. Probably name the engineer and general contractor also, but after 40 years, who knows if they are even around.

 

[jsb]

Yea, I don't get that strategy. The building's owner is likely the only one that has pockets worth pursuing. Probably name the engineer and general contractor also, but after 40 years, who knows if they are even around.

Again you might have to sue the association to make a claim with insurance.

 

[20eyes]

That is a fool’s errand. HOAs are skeleton organizations with no money.

Further, what's the linkage between the Home Owners Association and the collapse? In what way, shape, or form are they responsible for the structural integrity of a building? G.C., C.M., engineers, and architects are logical targets.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Yeah something like this doesn't actually "come out of nowhere" There are always signs, the problem is it's often after the tragedy occurred that we realize that those were signs.

I'm sure this property is run by a management company but I wouldn't want to be the owner right now. He/She is going to have lawsuits all over the place both as defendant and plaintiff.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with Sig that nobody comes out better for this because the Miami area attorney's are going to be very busy

I thought that part kind of went without saying.

Voltaire is quoted as saying once that he was only involved in two lawsuits during his lifetime. He won one; he lost the other, and both times, he lost money.

The lawyers always benefit.

And nowhere else in the world has more aggressive ones than does Florida.