Owners Of Sinking Homes Near Glenwood Springs Could Be Getting Millions
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - Monday afternoon homeowners at a golf course subdivision near Glenwood Springs avoided answering questions from CBS4 as they wait to see if a judge will uphold $14 million in awards related to defects in the construction of homes on sinking soils.
A jury recently awarded nearly $7 million to 20 homeowners at the Ironbridge subdivision, determining that the developer of the homes, a Lehman Brothers subsidiary, was responsible for damage. Homeowners were awarded another $7 million earlier this year in a finding involving the homebuilders.
The homes were built on evaporite, a soil that has been linked to sinkholes and subsidence in parts of western Colorado. The soil has high concentrations of salt, and when water meets up with the salt, it melts away and the ground begins to sink and shift.
"It's a geologic event … which is not uncommon in many parts of western Colorado, and actually through Colorado in general," Developer John Young said.
Young now oversees the Ironbridge development along the banks of the Colorado River. What he ended up buying from the now defunct former owners was a big headache.
"They experience failure in their homes and their foundations, and that would be traumatic for anyone," Young said.
The damage started appearing shortly after moving into their homes 8 years ago.
CBS4 crews toured one of the homes that is now condemned due to the sinking soil. Cracks cover the walls, the garage floor is buckling, and the roof is tilted to one side. Other homeowners have similar cracks and have been forced to spend thousands of dollars having crews drill pillars deep into the bedrock below in order to stabilize their homes from future movement.
Attorneys for the defendants have declined comment to The Associated Press and calls from CBS4 on Monday.
The new developers who purchased Ironbridge when it went bankrupt say no other phases in the community construction have been impacted by the "isolated soil quality situation." Young told CBS4 new construction is underway and they are happy to have the stigma that the lawsuit has brought the area behind them soon once the judge rules in the case.
"It also puts behind us an issue where people associate bad soils with Ironbridge, which isn't the case," Young said. "So the word is out that there was this situation, we're well aware of that and we're grateful that very shortly here people will understand that it has been addressed through the court systems and hopefully becomes a thing of our past."
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
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