TIJUANA (Border Report) — The owner of two buildings that tumbled off a ridge after heavy rains earlier this month says the city bears the blame for the structures’ failures, according to her lawyer, Juan Marcos Gutiérrez González.
“Right now we are managing geological opinions to determine the cause of the slide,” said Gutiérrez. “We have called on the CESPT (State Commission for Public Services in Tijuana) and the city to come to the table and discuss this topic and open a dialogue so together we can find the truth as to why this occurred and what were the real causes.”
The attorney alleges that it is very clear the agency ignored complaints made in previous months when CESPT was made aware of issues with drains and water flow.
“There is overwhelming evidence about previous concerns that should have been addressed and were the responsibility of CESPT,” he said. “They even repaired leaks, all these previous events and concerns point in their direction.”
The attorney stated negotiations are ongoing with the residents to compensate them for their losses when the buildings collapsed.
“We’re negotiating with them in good faith following civil code, which states when events like this happen tenants must be taken care of,” Gutiérrez said.
Neither the city nor CESPT has addressed the implications made by Gutiérrez and his client, the owner of the buildings.
Previously, the city has said soil sampling and bad foundation work were the likely cause for the buildings’ collapse, but a final report of the city’s investigation has not been released.
