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Horizon West condo owners; lawsuit against insurance company dismissed
The owners of Waukesha's Horizon West condominiums faced another setback this week. A judge dismissed their lawsuit against Travelers Insurance.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - The owners of Waukesha's Horizon West condominiums faced another setback this week. A judge dismissed their lawsuit against Travelers Insurance.
The city forced everyone out of the condo tower in December 2021 because of structural concerns. City officials issued a raze order for the structure.
Condo owners sued Travelers Insurance when they found out they would have to pay more than $1 million to tear the building down.
Judge's ruling
Owners plan to appeal.
FOX6 News met a half-dozen condo owners outside of the building on Friday morning, Nov. 18. They say most people who lived at the condo are still paying mortgagee on homes they cannot live in – and could go bankrupt.
"We know that they want us to take the building down as soon as possible. They’ve filed a lawsuit against us to force us to do that. Although, honestly, I don’t know what they think we can possibly do. There’s no way we can come up with that kind of money," said Laurel Peterson, who purchased a condo in 2019.
"If a tornado came through Waukesha and wiped out 49 homes, what would the loving city of Waukesha be doing right now? They’d be helping us," said Pat Esposito, who lived in the condo for five years. "But yet they want us to pay for the demolition of this building."
"We hear that when it was built, there were violations then. Well, what happened to that? Is there nobody looking back at that?" asked Ione Kohler, former condo board president.
Owners tell FOX6 News the city also had them board up windows because of break-ins.
FOX6 News reached out to the City of Waukesha, but have not heard back.
GoFundMe for condo owners
If you would like to help the condo owners, a Go Fund Me has been established for them.
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Statement from Michael Ganzer, condo owners’ attorney
"The Horizon West Homeowners plan on appealing. We are disappointed in the decision and intend to continue moving forward. The Horizon West homeowners lost all of the equity in their condos and still owe on the notes and mortgages for the property. Many have asked whether bankruptcy is an option. My clients paid for insurance only to be denied. We will not give up. Justice must be served."