A building promoter has been ordered to pay €350,000 moral damages, €35,000 to each of ten people whose homes collapsed in the town of Lepe in 1998.
The incident occurred on August 18th 1998, residents reporting hearing noises and then having a narrow escape as the building collapsed. Had the incident been one day earlier, during the local festivities, the warning noises would not have been heard and the consequences could have been more serious.
At the trial, the residents also requested the rebuilding of their homes by the promoter, a request granted by the court.
However, the promoter will also be appealing this latest decision, which means there is currently no satisfactory conclusion in sight for the affected residents.
During the early stages of the whole process, the promoter apparently offered compensation to the residents in order to avoid a court case but the offer was rejected as being totally insufficient.