MIAMI — The settlement agreement that would pay $83 million to victims of the Surfside condominium collapse has received preliminary approval and an endorsement from the judge overseeing lawsuits arising from the disaster that killed 98 people.
The agreement between lawyers representing surviving condo owners and heirs with wrongful death claims that was hammered out during a contentious Feb. 4 mediation session “passes muster with flying colors,” Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman wrote in his order granting approval.
“From the tenor of my order you can see I find it to be an eminently fair and reasonable compromise,” Hanzman said during a status hearing on Wednesday. “I could not be happier that you all have reached an agreement under tremendous pressure in a highly-charged emotional case. I’ve tried to lay out the pros and cons of the arguments. Absent something glaring being pointed out to me, I think it’s an excellent result.”
