Residents of condo complex that flooded file class action suit against property manager

A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of tenants of a downtown Philadelphia high-rise residential complex that flooded after water piping in the building burst.

The civil action was filed May 31 by attorney Thomas More Marrone, of the Philadelphia firm Caroselli Beachler McTiernan & Conboy, on behalf of William R. Piper, Jr. and others similarly situated.

The plaintiffs claims in the class action suit that they suffered real and/or personal property damage or loss following a release of water from standpipes at the 182-unit Center City One condominium building at 1326 Spruce St. on May 29 of this year.

The defendant in the case is the CAMCO Management Company.

According to the complaint, on the evening of May 29, water standpipes at Center City One released “massive amounts of water inside the building, its common areas and its residential units.”

The suit claims that CAMCO personnel “permitted and/or failed to prevent” the incident from occurring, and once it did occur, the defendant failed to stop or divert the flow of water in order to protect the tenants and their respective property.

The complaint alleges that the burst piping caused the hallways, residential units and common areas to flood, and caused extensive damage to personal property.

The incident also required the evacuation of the building’s 200-plus residents, the suit states.

The lawsuit accuses the defendant of negligence for failing to select, install and maintain fully operational, adequate and safe water standpipes at the building; failing to ensure that CAMCO personnel were on-site or immediately available and properly trained to respond to the sudden release of water; failing to inspect the water standpipes on a frequent basis to determine whether they were in proper working order; failing to ensure that the pipes were adequate and safe; and failing to stop or divert the flow of water after its release.

The lawsuit also contains a private nuisance count in which the plaintiff and potential class members claim the defendant’s alleged misconduct constitutes an invasion of the plaintiffs’ interest in the private use and enjoyment of land.

The plaintiff seeks class action certification as well as unspecified damages and losses together with interest, attorney’s fees and litigation costs.

A jury trial has been demanded.

 

The case ID number is 120503758.