Bellevue Sues Couple Whose Home Collapsed From Landslide

A Washington state couple has another issue on their hands after their home collapsed from a landslide two weeks ago, KOMO reports.

The city of Bellevue has reportedly filed a lawsuit against John and Barbara Surdi over the demolition of their home. A city spokesperson claims they're holding up the process of tearing down the destroyed home, adding that it needs to be taken down immediately to allow other people to enter their homes.

Dave Bricklin, an attorney representing the couple, says his clients just want to collect their valuables before their home is demolished.

“They've got all their personal belongings, their keepsakes, they've got important things like computer hard drives buried there,” Bricklin told reporters. “The city took a rather callous view of saying we're just going to cart it all away."

Bellevue officials countered this by saying there are too many risks to allow people to be amongst the rubble. KOMO also obtained a statement from the city about the issue, which reads in part:

"The city doesn’t take this legal action lightly, and we realize the Surdi family is dealing with a terrible situation. They have decades of memories and personal belongings invested in the property. This is why we’ve made consistent efforts to work with them during the process and will continue to do so. Unfortunately, the area is dangerous and we need to move more quickly."

You can read more about the situation here.