Construction litigation

July 7, 2021

Firm’s Gary Mars, Stuart Sobel Conduct National, Local Media Interviews, Appear Live on WLRN-FM South Florida National Public Radio

by Siegfried Rivera

Siegfried Rivera

In the hours, days and now weeks since the horrific tragedy of the Surfside condo collapse, the firm’s Gary Mars and Stuart Sobel have been among the most sought-after expert sources by local and national media. They have conducted extensive interviews with NBC News, the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Daily Business Review, Law 360 and The Real Deal. In addition, Gary and Stuart appeared live in wide-ranging interviews on The Florida Roundup and Sundial, the news and public affairs shows produced and aired by WLRN FM-91.3, the South Florida National Public Radio affiliate.

Both of these interviews covered a great deal of ground, and we encourage all those interested in learning more about the questions involving the legal ramifications of this tragedy and the liabilities of the insurer, builders, engineers and architects to listen to both. Gary’s interview on The Florida Roundup aired on Friday, July 2, at 1 p.m., and it’s available to be heard in full by clicking here. He discusses the implications for condominium association boards from the collapse as well as the reforms that may be in store. He believes these should include federal relief, perhaps in the form of federally backed low interest loans for condominium associations in need of undergoing extensive repairs.

Stuart’s interview aired during the Sundial show at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 6. He discusses the extremely high qualifications of the judge and engineer assigned to the case, and he also shares his insights into the projections for the investigation and the ultimate compensation for the victims and their families. It is a wide-ranging discussion that also delves into the projected reforms that he foresees are likely to follow. Stuart’s interview is available by clicking here.

June 8, 2021

Jason Rodgers-da Cruz’s Work for Latitude Condo Association Chronicled by Daily Business Review: This Miami Case Was Too Big For the Courtroom: Organizing Convention Center Trial ‘Like Setting Up a Show’

by Siegfried Rivera

Siegfried Rivera

The efforts of firm shareholder Jason M. Rodgers-da Cruz, together with Patrick S. Montoya of the Coral Gables-based law firm of Colson Hicks Eidson, were the subject of a front-page article headlined “This Miami Case Was Too Big For the Courtroom: Organizing Convention Center Trial ‘Like Setting Up a Show’” in today’s edition of the Daily Business Review, South Florida’s exclusive business daily and official court newspaper. The article discusses how it was going to be impossible for all of the jurors, defendants and their legal counsel to safely hold a trial at the Miami-Dade County Courthouse under Covid restrictions for a lawsuit by firm client Latitude on the River Condominium Association against eight defendants over the property’s allegedly faulty fire-sprinkler system. Even though the case was ultimately settled confidentially before proceeding to trial, the duo’s plans to hold the proceedings in the James L. Knight Convention Center are now serving as a blueprint for remote courtroom proceedings for large multi-party cases with adequate social distancing precautions. The article reads:

. . . The case, which took more than five years of litigation and multiple hearings, involved a class-action lawsuit brought by Latitude On The River Condominium Association Inc. against eight defendants over an alleged faulty fire sprinkler system with incompatible components.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey allowed plaintiffs attorneys Jason M. Rodgers-da Cruz of Siegfried Rivera and Patrick S. Montoya of Colson Hicks Eidson to work with her staff to plan for the massive jury trial. Jury selection was scheduled to start at the end of April.

February 4, 2020

Georg Ketelhohn Quoted in Daily Business Review on Construction Defect Suit Against Developer, Builders of Midtown Doral

by Siegfried Rivera

Siegfried Rivera

Firm shareholder Georg Ketelhohn is quoted in an article in today’s Daily Business Review discussing the firm’s efforts on behalf of the condominium association for the 537-unit Midtown Doral in its construction defect lawsuit against the community’s developer, builders and design professionals. The firm’s suit, which was filed in December, alleges defects including leaky plumbing with erratic water pressure, rooftop pools of rainwater on the roof, and exposed rebar in cracked concrete.

Located at Northwest 107th Avenue and 74th Street, Midtown Doral was completed in 2016 with four eight-story condo buildings and 70,000 square feet of retail space.

The firm’s lawsuit on behalf of the association is against general contractor Delant Construction Co. in Miami, architectural firm Pascual, Perez, Kiliddjian & Associates in Doral, and MD Residential II LLC, an affiliate used by the development partnership. The suit alleges breach of implied warranties against the developer and general contractor as well as a professional negligence count against the architect.

September 6, 2019

Articles in Miami Herald, Daily Business Review, South Florida Business Journal, The Real Deal and Law 360 Chronicle Firm’s $40.6M Verdict For Association’s Failed Robotic Garage

by Siegfried Rivera

Siegfried Rivera

Firm shareholders Helio De La Torre and Lindsey Thurswell Lehr, together with associate Berenice M. Mottin-Berger, have worked for more than four years in representing the BrickellHouse Condominium Association in litigation over the property’s failed robotic parking garage. Their work yielded a truly exceptional result last week when a Miami-Dade Circuit Court jury awarded the association $40,590,990 in damages against BrickellHouse Holding LLC, the developer of the 46-story tower in Miami’s Brickell area, and many of South Florida’s most respected media organizations took notice. The verdict yielded major articles this week in the Miami Herald, Daily Business Review, South Florida Business Journal, The Real Deal and Law 360 about the trial team’s success in demonstrating to the jury that the developer, a subsidiary of Newgard Development Group, breached statutory warranties owed to the association and its unit owners.

“The association has been left without parking for its residents in the promised 480 vehicle garage since November 2015,” explained De La Torre to reporters after the verdict. “Since that date, residents have been parking offsite and incurring increased costs due to the failed robotic parking system sold by the developer. The board of directors and a team of consultants have worked very hard to find a solution for the garage and bring the owners the justice they deserve.”

Thurswell Lehr concluded:
“As a result of the verdict, the condominium association will now be able to move forward with the replacement of the garage in order to restore the parking for the building that the owners and residents deserve.”

BrickellHouse is located at 1300 Brickell Bay Drive and features 374 residences. The 46-story tower was one of the first post-recession condo buildings constructed in the Brickell area. After its completion in October 2014, the problems with the 480-space robotic parking system were immediately apparent. The developer retained control of the condominium association through September 2015, and the robotic parking system was completely shut down in November 2015.

Below is a video depicting how the garage was designed to use a fleet of autonomous robots that move beneath the vehicles to lift and move them throughout the building and elevators. Click here to read the Miami Herald article in the newspaper’s website, click here for the Daily Business Review article (registration required) and click here for The Real Deal.

April 8, 2019

Article by Lindsey Thurswell Lehr and Susan Odess in Today’s Miami Herald: “Lawsuits by Condo Associations Against Neighboring Developers, Builders Are New Norm”

by Siegfried Rivera

Siegfried Rivera

An article authored by shareholders Lindsey Thurswell Lehr and Susan C. Odess was featured as the “My View” guest commentary column in the Business Monday section of today’s Miami Herald. The article, which is titled “Lawsuits by Condo Associations Against Neighboring Developers, Builders Are New Norm,” focuses on the spate of recent lawsuits against South Florida condominium developers and general contractors alleging their construction work caused physical damage to neighboring condominium towers. Their article reads:

. . . This new litigation trend appears to have especially taken hold in South Florida, where several prominent condominium developers and contractors have been sued by adjacent associations for damages emanating from their construction sites. The lawsuits raise claims for structural damage, fallen stucco, splattered paint, excessive dirt, broken glass/windows, and other damage resulting from the construction practices of neighboring developments.

The insurer for the 1060 Brickell Condominium Towers brought a lawsuit alleging construction debris from Panorama, 1010 Brickell and the Bond damaged the two 1060 Brickell buildings. The lawsuit claims that the construction activities at these properties damaged 1060 Brickell’s facade, balconies, railings, pool deck, roof, cooling tower and other components.

The entire development team behind the ultra-luxe Porsche Design Tower faced a similar lawsuit brought by the association for the adjacent Millennium Condominium. The association alleged that its building suffered millions of dollars in damage caused by the Porsche Tower’s construction next door, including extensive cracks to the lobby, parking garage and pool deck. Engineers concluded that the cracks were caused by excessive vibrations from the pile-driving equipment used for the neighboring tower’s foundation, and the suit also alleged concrete overspray splattered onto Millennium’s balconies, ruining the building’s paint job and related exterior components.

Continue reading