MALIBU—The owner of a Malibu property is being sued after a deck collapsed at a party on May 8, that left two people critically injured and four hospitalized.
The homeowner claims that the rental agreement states that only six people are allowed inside the house and no parties or events are allowed at any time. The homeowner noted a sign posted on the deck’s door indicating there was a six-person occupancy rule.
In an interview by CBS Los Angeles, the attendants claim that the deck was already rotted and the situation was bound to happen. Their attorney, Gayson Goody, stated “The deck was in pretty poor condition. Even if it was six people or one person, nobody should’ve been allowed on that deck.”
Attorney’s for the homeowner indicated that the home was inspected in 2018 after it was remodeled and was not found to have rotten wood.
The Los Angeles County Fire department officials stated that the incident occurred on the 20000 block of West Pacific Coast Highway. The balcony collapsed onto the rocks of the beach below more than 10-15 feet from the property. Video of the incident was captured which has been circulating over the internet.
According to reports, the homeowner rented the property with a limit of six people inside, but neighbors noted that over 30 people present.
Canyon News reached out to the LA County Fire Department, but no additional details about the incident were disclosed.
The city of Malibu issued the following statement in response to the balcony collapse:
“The City of Malibu sends its wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the people who were injured during the collapse of a balcony at a house in Malibu on the evening of Saturday, May 8.
The property in question had a valid short-term rental permit with the City in line with the City’s short-term rental ordinance. Malibu Code Enforcement is investigating any potential violations of occupancy limits of that permit or any other issues with that property, and Building and Safety staff are investigating the incident as well.
In response to the balcony collapse, the building has been red tagged in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.”
Written By Nicholas Suquette and Casey Jacobs
