Previous Story
45 Tottotville homeowners seek settlement
|
Posted on Jun 05 2012
Superior Court Associate Judge Perry B. Inos is conducting a mediation hearing in connection with the lawsuits filed by the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. and 45 Tottotville homeowners against the contractor and the designer/construction manager of the housing project.
Inos was set to inspect one of the housing units in Tottotville Monday afternoon.
Joaquin Torres, counsel for 10 homeowners, said they are trying to see if they can settle the lawsuits. “If we don’t settle, then we do closing arguments and then the judge is going to make a decision. That’s the arbitration portion,” Torres said.
Torres said the parties gave their opening statements Monday morning.
He said both the plaintiffs and the defendants will be calling their respective expert witnesses, then they will try to mediate in order to reach a settlement.
Testifying Monday as an expert witness, Efrain Camacho, president of EFC Engineers and Architects Corp., cited many design defects of the project and his recommendations.
Attorney Edward Arriola Sr. is representing 35 homeowners.
The 45 homeowners’ lawsuits were filed in 2006 against SSFM International Inc., NMHC, Telesource CNMI Inc., and Telebond Insurance Corp.
In the lawsuits, the homeowners alleged that despite Telesource’s, SSFM’s, and NMHC’s knowledge of the defects plaguing the project, the homeowners were not told during construction, prior to sale, or at any time until the homeowners themselves discovered the defects.
In April 2008, it was reported that nine homeowners represented by the Torres Brothers law firm received the final payments of their settlement with Telesource and Telebond Insurance.
In January 2011, it was reported that NMHC settled with 35 of the 45 homeowners.
