A Florida state court jury has awarded more than $8.6 million to the owners of a seven-story apartment complex in Dania Beach, concluding that developers and contractors failed to correct serious construction defects that violated the Florida Building Code.
The verdict came after a trial lasting more than two weeks in Broward County. Jurors found AHS Development Group LLC, Resia Construction LLC and Pre-Cast Specialties Inc. responsible for damages suffered by Dawson Operations LLC and Dawson Johnson Operations LLC, the companies that own the property known as The Place at Dania Beach.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2023, alleged negligence and building code violations. The Dawson companies said they purchased the complex after it was built and began noticing significant structural issues about four years later.
According to court filings, the reported problems included cracked concrete, corrosion in metal components, and defects affecting the parking garage, balconies, patio areas, HVAC stand, pool and a metal roof canopy. Engineers hired by the owners inspected the property in late 2022 and issued reports in early and mid-2023 concluding that aspects of the construction did not comply with state code requirements.
The owners said those deficiencies led to premature deterioration of key parts of the building.
Before filing suit, the Dawson companies issued a formal notice under Florida Statute 558 in February 2023, giving the contractors an opportunity to repair the alleged defects. They claimed the developers did not take corrective action.
In its verdict, the jury determined that Resia Construction bore 50% of the responsibility for the damages and AHS Development Group 49%, with Pre-Cast Specialties assigned 1% of the fault. Jurors did not attribute any negligence to the Dawson companies.
The case also included third-party claims filed by AHS and Resia against South-East Architect Services Inc. and Pre-Cast. The developers alleged breach of contract and negligence. During the trial, South-East Architect Services sought a directed verdict, arguing that no qualified expert had testified that it failed to meet the required standard of care.
The jury ultimately found that South East Architect Services was not liable. However, it concluded that Pre-Cast owed damages to AHS and Resia in the amount of $40,599.91 related to the third-party claims.
Attorneys representing the Dawson companies described the verdict as the result of years of litigation aimed at holding builders accountable for code compliance and construction quality. Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
