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In an amended class complaint filed Nov. 16, plaintiffs and their attorneys alleged that the construction of a luxury condominium 10 feet away from Champlain Towers South contributed significantly to its collapse, as reported by the Miami Herald.
In addition to the prior claims against the Champlain Towers South Condo Association, plaintiffs now allege that at least eight other defendants should also be held responsible for the collapse, including the Terra Group developers behind the luxury condos, Eighty Seven Park, at 8701 Collins.
“[Champlain Towers South] was an older building in need of routine repairs and maintenance, but it was not until excavation and construction began on the luxury high-rise condominium project next door … that CTS became so badly damaged and destabilized as to be unsafe,” the amended class complaint read.
Grossman Roth Attorney Rachel Furst told CBS4 Miami, “We believe firmly the allegations that we’ve made in our complaint, and we look forward to prosecuting this case on behalf of our clients.”
CBS4 Miami reports, the construction of Eighty Seven Park from 2016 to 2019 “caused vibrations that weakened the shaky structure” of Champlain Towers. During this time, developers also bought a small road between the two buildings, then proceeded to funnel groundwater from the new building to Champlain Towers’ property basement.
The construction of Eighty Seven Park was, in fact, so close that tenants of Champlain Towers could often feel the vibrations of pile-driving, excavation, and more.
One survivor of the collapse, Steve Rosenthal, told the Herald that these vibrations were a “constant problem.”
He explained, “When I was in the gym on the first floor facing Eighty Seven Park, I almost fell off the treadmill because of the vibrations.”
On November 17, Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen partner Rachel Furst, along with other plaintiffs’ attorneys, updated a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge on the amended class complaint. Attorney Furst holds the honor of serving as co-chair lead counsel for the Surfside condo collapse class action suit.
Contact Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen online today to learn more about our work in the Champlain Towers South Collapse Litigation.
