Florida Is Set to Pass Stricter Condo Rules After Surfside Collapse

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Florida lawmakers are poised to pass legislation that would stiffen inspection and funding requirements for condo buildings, a move aimed at preventing a repeat of the Surfside, Fla., tower collapse last June that left 98 people dead. The disaster was one of the deadliest building failures in U.S. history and highlighted the vulnerabilities of condo… Continue reading Florida Is Set to Pass Stricter Condo Rules After Surfside Collapse

Surfside Condo Collapse Lawsuits Are a Fight Over Just $50 Million

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Plaintiffs’ lawyers have filed some two dozen lawsuits following the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo tower last month, seeking payouts for the 98 deaths and destruction of 136 apartments it caused. The lawyers say it would take $1 billion to compensate everyone fairly. But the pool of money currently available for the Miami-area… Continue reading Surfside Condo Collapse Lawsuits Are a Fight Over Just $50 Million

Two-Thirds of Miami Condo Buildings Are Older than 30 Years, Now Repairs Are Coming Due

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Engineers say it can take just 30 years for condominium buildings to reach a point when owners can no longer delay making critical repairs. In the Miami region, two out of every three condo buildings are more than 30 years old, according to data compiled by real-estate data firm Zillow for The Wall Street Journal.… Continue reading Two-Thirds of Miami Condo Buildings Are Older than 30 Years, Now Repairs Are Coming Due

Insurer Plans to Make Up-Front Payment for Damages in Surfside Condo Collapse

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Just hours after the collapse of a Surfside condo tower last Thursday, a Miami attorney filed a class-action lawsuit seeking millions of dollars in damages from the building’s condo association after accusing the board of failing to protect the lives and property of residents. On Monday, the insurance carrier for the Champlain Towers South condo… Continue reading Insurer Plans to Make Up-Front Payment for Damages in Surfside Condo Collapse

Local Municipalities Ramping Up Building Inspections After Surfside Condo Collapse

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Local municipalities are ramping up inspections of older buildings following the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Monday that she is directing the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources to begin a 30-day audit of all residential properties five stories or higher that are 40… Continue reading Local Municipalities Ramping Up Building Inspections After Surfside Condo Collapse

Before Condo Collapse, Rising Seas Have Long Pressured Miami Coastal Properties

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The 12-story condominium tower that crashed down early Thursday near Miami Beach was built on reclaimed wetlands and is perched on a barrier island facing an ocean that has risen about a foot in the past century because of climate change. Underneath its foundation, as with Miami Beach, is sand and organic fill -over a… Continue reading Before Condo Collapse, Rising Seas Have Long Pressured Miami Coastal Properties

South Florida Beachfront Condo Partially Collapses

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The sea-view side of a beachfront condo tower collapsed in the Miami-area town of Surfside early Thursday, drawing a massing response from emergency services. Miami Dade Fire Rescue was conducting search and rescue operations, and said in a tweet that more than 80 units were “on scene with assistance from municipal fire departments.” Authorities had… Continue reading South Florida Beachfront Condo Partially Collapses