Springfield, Mass., Residents Sue City Over 2011 Tornado Damages

Owners and tenants of a Springfield, Mass., condominium complex damaged by last year’s tornadoes have filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging officials prematurely ordered the demolition of a building, robbing occupants of potentially salvageable personal items as well as their homes.

Lawyers for South Commons Condominium Association filed the complaint on June 1, the one-year anniversary of the storms that tore across Hampden and Worcester counties, killing three.

The Republican reports that the plaintiffs accuse the city of depriving them of their constitutional rights to due process.

The plaintiffs allege they did not receive condemnation notices until several days after the storm and after the buildings already had been razed.

They also allege the city demolished the building without testing its structural integrity. The city has not yet responded.