WAUKESHA, Wis.— The city of Waukesha filed a suit on Monday that would require condo owners to foot the bill for demolition of the Horizon West condo building.
That means those condo owners may potentially be in charge of paying for the building to be knocked down if the suit is ruled in the city’s favor in court.
It’s been a rough ten months for owners Kathy and Manuel Gonzales, who start each morning by reading their bibles and doing a devotional together.
“If we didn’t have our faith, I don’t know where we would be,” Kathy Gonzales said.
Gonzales said they’ve been reaching for their bibles and praying a lot more since they were forced to leave their forever home in December of 2021.
“It was devastating and it was a big adjustment,” Gonzales said.
This whole process has been a lot for them and are just getting settled into their new home in the Brookfield area. They recently heard the news of the city of Waukesha filing a suit and said it’s been hard to find words to describe what they are going through.
“Not for this… we weren’t ready for this. It was devastating. That’s really the only word I can use,” Manuel Gonzales said.
The couple has been retired for nearly 15 years and lives on a fixed income. They said a big financial burden like this would be impossible for them.
“We are retired on a limited income. I can’t imagine where we would get the money from. So, that leaves us no option but to file for bankruptcy,” Gonzales said.
The word bankruptcy is one they never thought they would have to say in their life. Gonzales said their mortgage for their condo had been paid off for quire a few years. However, they are still paying a handful of fees towards the condo they can no longer live in.
“We still have to pay our condo fee. We have today proper taxes for 2021. We have to pay insurance, even though we aren’t living there,” Gonzales said.
For now, it’s a waiting game for the Gonzales and many others who lived in the building. Many said it’s a frustrating time to be unsure of what their future holds.
Condo owners at Horizon West are still seeking a $17 million lawsuit with Travelers Insurance that would help pay for the costs. However, it is still pending in court.
You can read the suit filed by the city of Waukesha here: