A year ago, a new apartment building in Tartu tilted. It became unusable. The construction company initially refused to take responsibility. However, after public outrage, the company agreed to build a new building.
Ulla Preeden, rector of Tartu Health Care College, conducted a test in her apartment. A ball rolled away because the building was tilted. Exactly a year later, Preeden repeated the test. This time the ball didn't roll. The building was demolished and is being rebuilt.
Apartment owner Virge Hansen said her son's wish to move into the new building was fulfilled. Although the child is leaving, Hansen is happy about the new building.
Grete Mark, another apartment owner, is grateful they didn't give up. It was important to bring the problem to public attention. The building started sinking as early as 2015, but the problem only came to light in 2022.
The construction company Mapri initially refused to take responsibility. But after public attention, the company agreed to build a new building. Residents were surprised and happy.
Preeden called this a big surprise. The apartment owners didn't expect such an outcome. The three-year dispute had been exhausting.
Mapri's after-sales manager Ero Tragel said public attention helped. The company had always been there. It just took time to find common ground.
Mark believes that if the problem hadn't been made public, there wouldn't be a new building. In Estonia, how companies are talked about matters. This affects future tenders.
The reason for the building's sinking was broken piles. Mapri demolished the building and rebuilt it. A report showed that the ground moved and the piles broke.
Tragel said everything was done correctly, but the ground moved. This is a lesson for everyone. Mapri didn't admit fault, but they fixed it.
The new building was completed in February. Residents got their homes back. The kitchen is being installed and the family has moved in. Preeden is happy that the floors aren't tilted and water doesn't flow in the wrong direction.