RAPID CITY, S.D. – A judge has awarded class certification to 158 homeowners whose homes became unlivable when a sinkhole opened up exposing an old gypsum mine in the Hideaway Hills neighborhood.
The class certification means homeowners who do not opt out will be represented in court together as a group by Fox Rothschild, the firm filing the class-action lawsuit on behalf of the homeowners.
The lawsuit brought by the homeowners charges that the state acted recklessly when it failed to properly stabilize the land after it had previously been used as a state-operated gypsum mine.
If the plaintiffs win, the state will be forced to pay out the value of every home affected by the unstable ground, a total of approximately $44 million dollars. There is also the possibility for an additional payment to cover costs of lost opportunities from the time the sinkhole originally opened up to when the case is settled.
The next step for homeowners is to decide whether or not they want to be a part of the litigation
