Settlements reached in St. Charles roof collapse lawsuit
Settlements totaling at least $262,000 have been reached with eight of nine defendants in a $13 million lawsuit over a 2011 roof collapse in St. Charles.
The insurance carrier for Aquascapes, a water feature design firm at 901 Aqualand Way, sued in March 2013 seeking damages after a 500-by-60 foot portion of the "green" landscaped roof buckled and fell. The suit also sought to recover costs of relocating employees while repairs were made at the 256,000-square-foot building.
The collapse of the sloped roof, which held prairie grasses and other plants, occurred on a Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and did not injure anyone.
A Kane County judge Tuesday dismissed the suit against Tecza Environmental Group of Elgin and Area Erectors of Rockford after each company paid settlements of $30,000 and $32,000, respectively, according to court records.
The good faith settlements were for a fraction of the total amount sought for the roof collapse. Neither company admitted guilt or liability in the matter, court records show.
Overall, at least $262,000 in settlements have been negotiated in the case, according to court records.
Other companies and their settlements reached in recent weeks include: Dewberry Architects of Fairfax, Va., $25,000; Senekekts, of Monroe, Wisconsin, $20,000; Metallic Building Company of Houston, $95,000; Olsson Roofing of Aurora, $25,000; and Applied Ecological Services of Brodhead, Wis., $32,000.
Tricon Construction of DuBuque, Iowa, also reached a settlement and was dropped from the lawsuit, but its payment was not included on court records. Messages left with the company's attorney were not returned.
Artisan Design Build, LLC, of Monroe, Wis., is still the primary defendant on the lawsuit, records show.
Robert Martier, an attorney representing Artisan, said the company would be filing a motion before the next court date to dismiss the lawsuit. He said he could not detail all the reasons that would be cited in the motion.
The two sides are due back in court on Nov. 7.