ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Over the weekend, residents at The Rialto received information on the options they have available to terminate their leases.
What You Need To Know
More than 350 residents were evacuated from The Rialto apartment complex off Sand Lake Road on March 19 due to structural concerns
Over the weekend, residents received information on the options they have available to terminate their leases
In an email, residents were informed that if they would like to terminate the lease at The Rialto. Northland, the owner company, will waive two months of rent at any of their communities throughout Florida and nationwide, providing $2,000 per apartment to help cover moving expenses, and a full pack and move of their belongings within a 25-mile radius of The Rialto
This comes as one of the residents at The Rialto filed a class action lawsuit against the building owner companies last Wednesday. That lawsuit is currently pending in the 9th Judicial Circuit for Orange County
This comes as more than 350 residents were evacuated from The Rialto apartment complex off Sand Lake Road on March 19 due to structural concerns.
“It’s been a little tough just because we had to relocate in such short notice, but luckily for us, we have family we can go to. Everyone is not as lucky. They have to stay at like hotels around and stuff, but I feel like they could have done more,” Rialto resident Richard McDonough said.
He said so far, residents have received $1,000 per unit from the management company and a list of discounted hotels where they can stay in the meantime.
According to Orange County government, the Division of Building Safety received an update from Rialto management saying their engineering team is still investigating the cause and extent of the issue with the Rialto building.
Last Wednesday, one of the tenants filed a lawsuit against the building’s ownership, seeking over $50,000 in damages, alleging breach of contract and building code violations.
Residents like Taryn Stewart have been coming back to the building hoping to get some of their belongings, but since they are not allowed back into their units, management is having them write a list of essentials to bring down to them.
“We have stuff that is expensive or important, and they’re only doing critical items. And what’s critical to them is critical to us. So not having our stuff is kind of an inconvenience, because I have work stuff up there. So, I don’t have any of my work uniforms. But thankfully, my job has been very good at accommodating with that, but not having anything. It just doesn’t help,” Stewart said.
Monday marks 11 days since residents were evacuated due to structural concerns. But over the weekend, residents finally got a document about the options they would have if they chose to terminate the lease.
In an email, residents were informed that if they would like to terminate the lease at The Rialto, Northland, the owner company, will waive two months of rent at any of their communities throughout Florida and nationwide, providing $2,000 per apartment to help cover moving expenses, and a full pack and move of their belongings within a 25-mile radius of The Rialto.
The agreement to vacate and release also stated that residents who sign it would release the owners: Northland Investment Corporation, Northland Rialto, LLC DBA, The Rialto, and all of their affiliates, agents, representatives, successors, heirs, assigns, and attorneys from any and all claims, demands, damages, action and causes of action, suits, debts, sums of money, accounts, reckonings, bills, covenants, contracts, agreements, controversies, promises, and demands whatsoever.
If signed, the residents would also be agreeing not to bring or participate as a class member in any claim, action, lawsuit, arbitration, or other contested adjudication, including the Swissa Lawsuit, filed on March 25 by resident Adriana Swissa who lived in The Rialto.
Stewart said the proposed agreement does not cover everything residents have been going through.
“We were forced out of our apartment so quickly, and we had no option to grab our stuff. Really. They had 10 minutes. I was at work when it happened. So, to not have anything and then to be like, ‘Hey, you can’t say anything or do anything about it,’ you can’t get any compensation for it. It does feel like a slap in the face,” Stewart said.
Attorney Jennifer Englert is the managing partner and founder of The Orlando Law Group. After taking a look at the documents that residents received, she shared her expertise on the matter.
“Well, certainly every time a lawsuit or a potential lawsuit happens, there’s a party that often tries to settle it,” Englert said. “Giving something and then having you sign a piece of paper that says you’re done and no more litigation, no lawsuit or anything like that.”
She warned residents about the legal implications of signing this type of document.
“The most important thing is whenever they’re signing something, there’s not going to be any going back. So, whatever they get in this moment, that’s going to be it. And they might think, no, this is just temporary or something to get us over the hump. But now, most likely, if they sign something called the release, it’s done,” Englert said.
For residents who are considering not signing the agreement, Englert said there is power in numbers.
“I would have them all get together as many of them as possible, because it’s easier when you’re together and try to negotiate the best possible outcome right now, because it’s probably the only money they’re ever going to receive,” Englert said.
This comes as last Wednesday one of the residents at The Rialto filed a class action lawsuit against the building owner companies. That lawsuit is currently pending in the 9th Judicial Circuit for Orange County.