Condo Owners Who Won Suit Can't Rest Yet : Verdict: Pasadena residents face a fight to collect their $6.3 million, then months of dislocation during repairs. But the battle has brought them closer together.

Condo Owners Who Won Suit Can’t Rest Yet : Verdict: Pasadena residents face a fight to collect their $6.3 million, then months of dislocation during repairs. But the battle has brought them closer together.

By JOE DONNELLY

April 21, 1994 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Now that they have won a $6.3-million jury verdict, the hard work is just beginning for 17 Pasadena condominium owners who sued over excessive noise, leaks and other structural problems in their new luxury condos.

First comes the challenge of actually collecting the money, since the attorney for the developer they sued plans to move for a new trial. If they succeed in crossing that barrier, they still face months of dislocation while the money is used to repair the condos.

“We feel partial relief and vindication,” said homeowner David Shultz. “We know there is still a long time ahead to collect the money and do the work.”

The verdict against developer Victor Illig and his company Orange Grove Partners came April 12 after seven weeks of trial. The jury decided unanimously that the residents of 515 S. Orange Grove Blvd. had indeed been sold defective condos that in some cases were also smaller than advertised.

Some of the residents had been forced to replace water-soaked ceilings five times, and others had to remove large sections of bulging parquet floors.

The work, which will include replacing decks on second-floor units, re-roofing, and stripping the building’s outside plaster to fix faulty shear walls, will require the owners, many of whom are elderly, to move out for months. “It’s not something we look forward to at this point in our lives,” Shultz said.

The up side is that the shared tribulations and trial brought the residents closer than they ever expected to be, according to Shultz and others. “It’s like you are all captive from some kidnaping or something,” Shultz said. “We’ve really gotten to like each other and bond over this.”

Many of the homeowners had been friends with developer Illig when they bought their condos from him for prices ranging from $600,000 to $1 million in 1988. Illig is not commenting pending further legal action, but his lawyer said the verdict was unfair.

“The fact that earthquakes, fires and mudslides have recently damaged many California homes made it difficult for this jury to reach a fair verdict,” attorney Bruce Gridley said. “This verdict was not fair and we will make that argument to the trial judge, and if necessary to the appellate court.” Gridley has until April 28 to move for a new trial.