Gary W. Griffin, ARM and Alan P. Schreibman, ARM The recent initial collapse and ultimate demolition of the 40-year-old, 136-unit Champlain Towers condominium buildings in Surfside, FL has generated renewed concern for homeowners association (HOA) directors and officers responsible for making decisions about the inspection and maintenance of the association's buildings and equipment. This article addresses the obvious and perhaps not-so-obvious conditions that can cause such a disaster, steps that HOA directors and officers can take to identify and minimize hazards, reduce the likelihood of lawsuits, and protect the association and its directors and officers from liability.

The Problem

The sudden and unexpected collapse of part or all of a single or multi-story building or structure is nothing new or surprising. Any man-made structure is prone to damage and collapse. One of the earliest and most devastating structural collapses occurred in 47 AD when failure of the wooden Fidenae Amphitheater killed some 20,000 souls. More recently in 1971, an earthquake caused the collapse of several multi-story apartment and condominium buildings in California's San Fernando Valley. In 2015, a fourth-story balcony in Berkeley, California, collapsed, and six exchange students lost their lives. Certainly, external events such as an earthquake, flood, gas explosion or other natural hazards and man-made perils may cause severe damage to a building. Other, less obvious causes can also result in injury or death of unit owners, guests and other third-parties.