On October 12, 2013, tower 6 of the Space residential complex in El Poblado (Medellín) collapsed. Twelve people died. The other towers were demolished because of design and construction defects, and the owners lost their apartments.
In April 2021, the 11th Administrative Court of Medellín had only held the builder and the zoning official (curador) liable.
What the court decided
On September 14, 2022, on appeal in a class action, the Administrative Court of Antioquia held the builder, its executives, the former zoning official and the City of Medellín jointly liable. According to El Colombiano, they must pay COP 30,891 million:
- COP 27,255 million for 41 lost properties.
- COP 3,000 million for furniture.
- The rest for rent.
The city bears 25% and the private parties 75%.
Why it matters
The ruling reaches not only whoever built badly, but also whoever had to supervise the construction. It is a precedent for other buildings with structural defects.
This ruling compensates the owners for their lost property, not the deaths.
What it means if something similar happened to you
If your home has cracks, sinking or structural defects, document them with dates, get a technical opinion and keep the plans, permits and correspondence with the builder. Those documents show who knew what, and when.
Sources
This is a summary of public news written by García & Asociados Abogados for informational purposes. Every case depends on its own facts and evidence: it doesn’t mean another case will have the same outcome.
Photo: The Space building site in El Poblado, Medellín, after the collapse and demolition of the towers — Tecsie (foto de Augusto Sisa), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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