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The owner of a partially collapsed Iowa building pleaded guilty to a civil infraction, documents show

2023-06-13 02:54
The owner of a building that partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, last month has pleaded guilty to a civil infraction for not maintaining safe conditions, court documents filed Monday show.
The owner of a partially collapsed Iowa building pleaded guilty to a civil infraction, documents show

The owner of a building that partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, last month has pleaded guilty to a civil infraction for not maintaining safe conditions, court documents filed Monday show.

Andrew Wold, who owns the six-story building that collapsed on May 28, killing three people, was ordered to pay a $300 fine and $95 in court costs, according to the filing in Scott County Court.

CNN has reached out to Wold's attorney for comment. A spokesperson previously told CNN, "We are devastated by the building's collapse and our hearts go out to everyone involved, people displaced, people injured, and of course the people that lost their lives."

Residents Branden Colvin, Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien were killed in the Memorial Day weekend collapse, which destroyed dozens of apartment units.

In addition to the fine, Wold was ordered Monday to "refrain from any violations of Davenport, Iowa (building) code provisions," CNN affiliate KWQC reported. Wold did not appear during a hearing Monday, the station said, and entered his plea through his attorney.

Wold is also among several parties facing at least two lawsuits from building residents. Both lawsuits allege negligence on the part of the owner and the city of Davenport, among others.

One, filed by Quanishia "Peach" White Berry, and her wife, Lexus Berry, seeks to hold the defendants accountable for what it describes as "permanent and catastrophic personal injures," namely the amputation of Peach's leg by emergency responders extricating her from the debris. The lawsuit claims the building was not up to code and alleges complaints were known for some time, and it seeks an unspecified amount of money.

Another lawsuit similarly claims Wold and the city knew about the dangers but failed to warn residents.

The city of Davenport previously declined to comment on pending litigation, citing the advice of its attorneys.