Just before sunrise on March 19, residents of The Rialto (1) Apartments on West Sand Lake Road in Orlando were jolted awake by something they couldn\u2019t see but could hear.<\/p>\n
Around 4 a.m., 911 calls started pouring in as tenants reported doors that wouldn\u2019t open and sharp popping sounds echoing through the building. Some residents were trapped inside, unsure of what was happening or how serious it might be.<\/p>\n
Within hours, those fears escalated. Officials from Orange County Government and Orange County Fire Rescue ordered an emergency evacuation, warning the five-story complex could be structurally unstable. More than 350 residents were forced out, many with little time to gather their belongings.<\/p>\n
Lorraine Seid is among the residents now packing up alongside her son after Northerland Investment Corporation told tenants to find other places to live. Still, she said the outcome could have been far worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never thought this would happen, but hey, he\u2019s safe,\u201d she told WESH 2 News (2). \u201cEverybody else is safe, so that\u2019s good. We already have an apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seid isn\u2019t the only resident finding small moments of relief amid the upheaval. Arlina Aguirre, another tenant, was seen packing what she could into her car after securing a new place to stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, at least, I got my plant and some of my stuff,\u201d Aguirre (2) said, adding that the rest of her things have already been packed and she\u2019s waiting for them to be delivered.<\/p>\n
At the time of the evacuation, nearly 93% of the units were occupied, and on-site businesses like Sage Dental and Orthodontics, StretchLab and Melt \u2018n Dip were also forced to close.<\/p>\n
Relocating comes with a growing list of expenses from securing new housing to covering the cost of moving. The average move is roughly $1,250, while long-distance relocations can climb to $4,000, according to SpareFoot (3). But the expenses don\u2019t stop there. Temporary storage, hotel stays and special freight can push expenses even higher.<\/p>\n
Tenants were initially offered $1,000 to help with relocation, and Northerland also offered units at another property, but residents said those relocation checks bounced.<\/p>\n
Story Continues <\/p>\n
Read More: 5 essential money moves to make once you\u2019ve saved $50,000<\/a><\/p>\n The 200-unit complex, built in 2014 and marketed as a luxury development with modern amenities, is now under scrutiny. A class-action (4) lawsuit filed by tenants alleges they signed leases under the assumption that the building was safe and up to code. They now believe the owner, Northland Rialto LLC, failed to meet those standards.<\/p>\n One resident, Leonidas Papakolos, has joined the class-action lawsuit on behalf of fellow tenants and says he\u2019s still searching for answers.<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody has to be held accountable. Structural damage like this, I mean, Surfside collapsed five years ago? It could easily happen again,\u201d he (2) said.<\/p>\n Orange County\u2019s Building Safety Division has called on the property\u2019s management company to bring in a licensed engineer or architect to assess the building. Residents are barred from returning until that review is complete.<\/p>\n Photos released by officials show visible cracks and damage both inside units and along the exterior. Authorities say it\u2019s still unclear what caused the damage, whether the cracks are related and the building\u2019s overall structural integrity has not yet been determined.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce we receive the structural evaluation, we will have a better understanding if this was damage that developed slowly over time or if there was something that caused immediate movement in the structure,\u201d Orange County\u2019s Division of Building Safety said in a statement (1) to FOX 35.<\/p>\n WESH 2 Investigates examined recent activity at the property, including permits tied to the construction carried out over the past six months. Records show the work was completed and approved just two months before the evacuation, though the contractor has not responded to requests for comment.<\/p>\n The building\u2019s original developer, Wood Partners, said it sold the property in 2017 and is not involved, adding that the cause and extent of the damage remain under investigation.<\/p>\n For residents forced out, the financial impact can hit as hard as the evacuation itself. Renters may have some options, but acting quickly and keeping thorough records is key.<\/p>\n One of the first steps is reviewing your tenant insurance policy. Some plans include \u201closs of use\u201d coverage, which can help cover temporary housing, meals and other unexpected costs if your unit becomes uninhabitable, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (5).<\/p>\n Coverage typically applies only to costs above your normal living expenses, and reimbursement often depends on keeping detailed receipts. If you\u2019re unsure what\u2019s covered, it\u2019s worth contacting your insurer as soon as possible to clarify your benefits and avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs.<\/p>\n In the meantime, some short-term relief is beginning to take shape. Hotels (1), including Rosen Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando and Courtyard by Marriott Orlando, are offering discounted stays to displaced residents, according to Orange County Government, as residents wait for answers on when or if they\u2019ll be able to return home.<\/p>\n Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.<\/a><\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n FOX 35 Orlando (1)<\/a>; WESH 2 News (2)<\/a>; SpareFoot (3)<\/a>; FOX 35 Orlando (4)<\/a>; National Association of Insurance Commissioners (5)<\/a><\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just before sunrise on March 19, residents of The Rialto (1) Apartments on West Sand Lake Road in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":223370,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[8370,101088,3919,8372,101090,1335,12742,139,141,140,25152,101089,3434],"class_list":{"0":"post-223369","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-orlando","8":"tag-dave-ramsey","9":"tag-emergency-evacuation","10":"tag-fox-35-orlando","11":"tag-jeff-bezos","12":"tag-northerland-investment-corporation","13":"tag-orange-county","14":"tag-orange-county-government","15":"tag-orlando","16":"tag-orlando-headlines","17":"tag-orlando-news","18":"tag-robert-kiyosaki","19":"tag-unexpected-costs","20":"tag-universal-orlando"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}