In May, it will have been 23 years since that fateful day when the city burned a block of houses to the ground. The Inquirer today reports on a court decision that "set the stage for future court proceedings, demonstrating that the May 13, 1985, fire is likely to remain for the city an enduring and costly legal burden."
Eleven lives were lost in the tragedy, including 5 children and dozens of families were displaced from their homes on the 6200 block of Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia.
My memory of the event is vague (I was 9 in May of 1985) and most of what I know comes from reading about the aftermath - lawsuits, etc. I seem to remember that the process by which the city chose a contractor to rebuild the houses was fraught with the kind of back-room deals and "who knows whom" that have been common throughout this city's history.
Regardless, it soon became clear that the contractor didn't do such a great job. Residents have been trying since pretty damn near the time they moved back in to get the city to take care of the problems with their houses. At various times courts have sided with them, appeals have been made, and all the while the city shells out money for legal fees on top of what they've already paid:
The 24 homeowners took their case to federal court after refusing to settle with the city after years of problems that resulted from construction defects on the houses built for them.
About three dozen of the homeowners did settle, and Deputy City Solicitor Richard G. Feder noted that the settlement amount - $150,000 per plaintiff - was what the others are now in line to receive under yesterday's Third Circuit decision.
The city has spent millions as a result of the disaster - including more than $15 million to rebuild the neighborhood, $2.5 million to the parents of the slain MOVE children, and $1.7 million more to the child once known as Birdie Africa, who escaped the fire.
So for one split-second decision on May 13, 1985, the city will continue to pay up.
(Let's do a little crowd sourcing to tell the story. I put a few minutes into trying to track down the name of the builder and all of the circumstances, but I have to move on. Feel free to add on your own knowledge of the MOVE incident and its aftermath in the comments section. If you try to add links, contact me so I know to "allow" the comment. Email me at dpohlig (at) whyy.org)
Comments (1)
Check that block out on google street view. Looks like a bunch of newly built, boarded up crap.
Posted by Anonymous | April 15, 2008 6:31 PM