AN APARTMENT BUILDING EVACUATED OVER SAFETY CONCERNS WILL LIKELY STAY CLOSED FOR MONTHS, WHILE ENGINEERS EXAMINE THE PROPERTY. THAT’S WESH 2’S, GREG FOX EXPLAINS. RIALTO RESIDENTS SAY THEY ARE TURNING TO THE COURTS NOW TO GET COMPENSATION THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY DESERVE. AT THE RIALTO APARTMENTS ON WEST SAND LAKE ROAD. EVERY DAY IS MOVING DAY WITH RESIDENTS WHO HAVE FOUND NEW PLACES TO LIVE, COLLECTING THE CONTENTS OF THEIR FORMER UNITS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED THE BUILDING MARCH 19TH, LEAVING MORE THAN 350 PEOPLE IN ROUGHLY 200 APARTMENTS, HOMELESS AND MOVING IN WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS, OR RENTING HOTEL ROOMS AND THE EXPENSIVE TOURIST DISTRICT. TWO WEEKS AGO, ENGINEERS REVEALED THAT THEY FOUND A THREE FOOT DEEP BY 15 FOOT WIDE GAP UNDER THE BUILDING THAT LIKELY LED TO THE CRACKS AND SETTLING. RESIDENTS MONDAY DECLINED TO TALK WITH US, WITH SOME SAYING THE RIALTO’S OWNER. NORTHLAND AN INVESTMENT CORPORATION FOR FAILING TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND NOT COVERING LIVING EXPENSES. I’M HOPING THAT THE COMPANY IS GOING TO LEARN FROM THIS, AND I’M HOPING THAT THEY WILL TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY GOING FORWARD. ATTORNEYS MARCUS KOHBERGER AND PATRICK MONTOYA HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT THEY BELIEVE WILL BE CERTIFIED AS A CLASS ACTION. THEIR CLIENTS TELL THEM NORTHLAND OFFERED TO HELP WITH MOVING EXPENSES AND RELOCATION, BUT ONLY IN EXCHANGE FOR SIGNING AN AGREEMENT NOT TO SUE. IT’S PEOPLE’S HOMES AND THEY NEED TO BE APPROPRIATELY COMPENSATED AND THEY NEED TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. AGAIN, IT’S YOU’RE BACK TO THEIR HOMES. IT’S THE MOST BASIC THING WE VALUE FOOD, CLOTHING AND SHELTER, RIGHT? IT’S ALWAYS THOSE THREE THINGS. THIS IS TWO OF THOSE THINGS. A LOT OF THEM LOST THEIR THEIR CLOTHING AND THEIR PERSONAL ITEMS AND THEY DON’T HAVE SHELTER. SOMETHING NEW IN RECENT DAYS, THESE ORANGE STICKERS PUT ON THE FRONT OF BUSINESSES IN FRONT OF THE RIALTO, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE THERE. AND SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE PUT SIGNS ON THE DOOR LIKE SAGE DENTAL SAYING THAT THEY HAVE TEMPORARILY MOVED. I CALLED SAGE DENTAL AND THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE SAID THEY’RE NOT SURE THEY’RE EVER COMING BACK HERE. IN THE MEANTIME, CUSTOMERS OF THE BUSINESSES, INCLUDING THIS FEDEX STORE, ARE LEARNING THE HARD WAY THAT BUSINESSES OUTSIDE THE RIALTO MIGHT B
Residents of Rialto Apartments in Orlando continue to search for living
Updated: 6:11 PM EDT Apr 13, 2026
At the Rialto apartments on West Sand Lake Road, every day is moving day with residents who have found new places to live and are collecting the contents of their former units.The fire department evacuated the building on March 19, leaving more than 350 people in roughly 200 apartments, homeless … and either moving in with family or friends, or renting hotel rooms in the expensive tourist district.Two weeks ago, engineers revealed that they found a three-foot-deep by 15-foot-wide gap under the building that likely led to cracks and settling.Residents declined to talk with reporters on Monday, with some saying they have hired attorneys to sue Rialto’s owner, Northland Investment Corporation, for failing to address their concerns and not covering living expenses.“I’m hoping that the company is going to learn from this. You know, we’re hoping that they will treat people with respect and dignity going forward,” said attorney Markus Kamberger.He and attorney Patrick Montoya have filed a complaint, they believe, that will be certified as a class action lawsuit.Their clients tell them Northland offered to help with moving expenses and relocation, but only in exchange for signing an agreement not to sue.Montoya said, “It is people’s homes, and they need to be appropriately compensated and they need to be treated with dignity and respect. Again, it’s the basic things. We value food, clothing and shelter, right? We always need those things. This is two of those things. They’ve offered to get their food and their clothing, and they don’t have shelter.”In recent days, these orange stickers have been placed on the doors leading to the various businesses on the ground floor of the Rialto out front.At Sage Dental and Orthodontics, there’s a sign saying they’ve moved temporarily. When WESH 2 News talked with someone there, they said they’re not sure if they’ll return.In the meantime, customers of the businesses, including this FedEx store, are learning the hard way that business at the Rialto might be done permanently.David Scharfenberg, a Northland vice president, told WESH 2 News Monday, “Our focus remains on supporting residents, and we are working with them every day to assist with the retrieval of their belongings and to facilitate their transition out of the building. As we noted when the engineering report was delivered to the County on April 1, the additional subsurface evaluation is expected to take at least two months and may extend beyond that as the work progresses. That work must be completed before any remedies can be determined. Northland does not comment on litigation. We do not have any additional updates to share.”
ORLANDO, Fla. —
At the Rialto apartments on West Sand Lake Road, every day is moving day with residents who have found new places to live and are collecting the contents of their former units.
The fire department evacuated the building on March 19, leaving more than 350 people in roughly 200 apartments, homeless … and either moving in with family or friends, or renting hotel rooms in the expensive tourist district.
Two weeks ago, engineers revealed that they found a three-foot-deep by 15-foot-wide gap under the building that likely led to cracks and settling.
Residents declined to talk with reporters on Monday, with some saying they have hired attorneys to sue Rialto’s owner, Northland Investment Corporation, for failing to address their concerns and not covering living expenses.
“I’m hoping that the company is going to learn from this. You know, we’re hoping that they will treat people with respect and dignity going forward,” said attorney Markus Kamberger.
He and attorney Patrick Montoya have filed a complaint, they believe, that will be certified as a class action lawsuit.
Their clients tell them Northland offered to help with moving expenses and relocation, but only in exchange for signing an agreement not to sue.
Montoya said, “It is people’s homes, and they need to be appropriately compensated and they need to be treated with dignity and respect. Again, it’s the basic things. We value food, clothing and shelter, right? We always need those things. This is two of those things. They’ve offered to get their food and their clothing, and they don’t have shelter.”
In recent days, these orange stickers have been placed on the doors leading to the various businesses on the ground floor of the Rialto out front.
At Sage Dental and Orthodontics, there’s a sign saying they’ve moved temporarily. When WESH 2 News talked with someone there, they said they’re not sure if they’ll return.
In the meantime, customers of the businesses, including this FedEx store, are learning the hard way that business at the Rialto might be done permanently.
David Scharfenberg, a Northland vice president, told WESH 2 News Monday, “Our focus remains on supporting residents, and we are working with them every day to assist with the retrieval of their belongings and to facilitate their transition out of the building. As we noted when the engineering report was delivered to the County on April 1, the additional subsurface evaluation is expected to take at least two months and may extend beyond that as the work progresses. That work must be completed before any remedies can be determined. Northland does not comment on litigation. We do not have any additional updates to share.”