Redondo Sued Over Boat Losses

A Torrance man, whose 22-foot cabin cruiser and two smaller boats sank in a January storm that battered King Harbor, has sued the city of Redondo Beach for negligence.

John Modugno’s lawsuit, filed last week in Torrance Superior Court, charges that the city was responsible for the loss of the “Conception,” a 9-foot sabot and a dinghy. He estimated the loss to be more than $24,000.

The lawsuit charges that the city failed to improve the King Harbor breakwater or docks, despite knowing that the structures would not withstand a severe storm. Modugno said his losses are not covered by insurance.

High winds and waves caused an estimated $17 million in damage during the Jan. 17 storm.

Modugno, 59, said he could have moved his boats to a safer part of the harbor but was denied access to the docks by a Redondo Beach police officer. “Had plaintiff been allowed access to his boat,” the lawsuit contends, “he could have taken action to protect it.”

He said the city should have established a policy ahead of time to grant boat owners access to their crafts.

The city rejected claims by 26 businesses and individuals who charged negligence in the storm. Modugno is the first of those to file suit.

City Atty. Gordon Phillips defended the city’s actions. He compared the police officer keeping boat owners off the docks to a firefighter who prevents owners from returning to their burning homes. “It’s an emergency situation and one of those judgments police have to make when there is a possibility that a life may be jeopardized.”