Athens lawyer Michael Fradin filed a lawsuit last week against the owners of the Carriage Hill Apartments after a fire destroyed an apartment building Feb. 26, 2017.
Since the fire, Asset Campus Housing has taken ownership of Carriage Hill Apartments. The complex has been rebranded to Campus Heights under the new owners. The suit claims that the previous owners, Wallick Communities, did not exercise due care or follow fire safety precautions or procedures.
According to a previous Post report, a fire broke out almost two years ago at Carriage Hill at about 4 p.m. that day. The fire began in Building 12, and residents from all 30 units fled the building. Those living in Building 13 were also told to leave, but the fire was contained to Building 12.
Plaintiffs Elaheh Seyedalikhani and Mersad Raeisi were preparing for an Oscars dinner party during the time of the fire, the suit reads. They heard a loud bang from below them but assumed it was an argument. That bang was the beginning of the fire, which was caused by electrical wiring in the wall of the apartment, according to a previous Post report.
“When plaintiffs opened the door to their apartment, the hallway was full of smoke,” the suit reads. “No smoke detector, smoke alarm or sprinkler had gone off, despite the presence of significant smoke throughout the building.”
The plaintiffs, who are married and shared an apartment in Building 12, were forced out of the apartment because of the fire. That led to unnecessary property damage and economic loss, the suit claims. The suit says that the amount of damages totals to $22,000. The plaintiffs demanded a jury trial in the suit.
