ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — One week after hundreds were evacuated from their Orange County apartment complex, residents have filed a lawsuit against their landlord claiming breach of contract and negligence.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday comes after more than 350 people were forced out of their apartments at the Rialto on Sand Lake Road due to structural concerns.
The complex was deemed dangerous by authorities one week ago after cracks appeared throughout the building and 911 callers reported hearing pops and creaks.
In the days since, management has provided $1,000 payments to each of the 200 units to assist with financial hardship, but many residents reported that these funds were quickly spent on hotel costs.
According to the building’s owner, Northland, a private equity firm based out of state, Engineers need more time to investigate what caused the structural damage.
Resident Leonidas Papakalos visited the complex on Thursday, where workers in hard hats helped him retrieve necessities from his unit.
Papakalos described the significant disruption to his daily life and the financial burden of replacing items that remain inside the building. “I wanna cook, I can’t even cook,” Papakalos said. “Am I supposed to go buy new pots and pans?”
Papakalos said he plans to join the lawsuit to seek compensation for his losses, noting that the $1,000 provided by management was quickly exhausted.
“The replacement cost for our lives is astronomical,” said Papakalos.
Other Rialto residents expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication from the property owner.
Logan Cornell, a resident at the complex, said the uncertainty has made it difficult for families to plan for their futures. “We’re all just kind of guessing and picking at scraps of info to try to piece together a plan for ourselves,” Cornell said.
Property management recently sent a message to residents stating that the timeline for completing engineering work has been extended. The property managers stated they will soon send residents information regarding lease terminations and how they will assist with permanent relocations.
“We recognize that this extended timeline and the uncertainty are both challenging and unsustainable for you,” reads the note.
Multiple residents told Channel 9 they hope to receive compensation through the recently filed class action lawsuit.
The complaint filed Wednesday asks for a jury trial and declaratory relief. It accuses Northland of Negligence, Violation of Florida Statute, and Breach of Contract.
The complaint states, “Defendant failed to comply with applicable building codes, and failed to maintain the building, walks, foundation, and other structural components in good repair and capable of resisting normal forces and loads, because on March 19, 2026, the Subject Property had cracks in the building affecting dwelling units and became uninhabitable.”
Channel 9 spoke with Patrick Montoya, a trial lawyer who filed the suit on behalf of Rialto tenants.
“The idea is get these people back on their feet, get them a home, get them a safe place to live, get in their belongings back, let them get back to their normal lives,” said Montoya.
Markus Kamberger, another attorney on the lawsuit, explained that anyone residing at the Rialto with a valid lease on March 19th, the date of the evacuations, would be automatically part of this suit and eligible to receive a portion of a potential settlement.
On Thursday, Northland sent Channel 9 the following statement:
“Our top priority continues to be the safety and well-being of our residents. We recognize how disruptive and stressful the past week has been, and we understand the very real challenges residents are facing as they navigate temporary housing and uncertainty about next steps.
Based on ongoing guidance from our engineering team, additional time is needed to complete a thorough and careful assessment of the building. This work is complex and must be done methodically to ensure we fully understand the conditions and determine the appropriate path forward. At this stage, we do not yet have a definitive timeline for when the investigation will be complete or when further details can be shared.
Given this uncertainty, we have begun planning for the next steps to support residents. We will be communicating directly with residents in the coming days with more information.
We remain committed to working as quickly and responsibly as possible, and we will continue to keep residents informed as we learn more. We appreciate their patience and resilience during this difficult time.”
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