Owners of Collapsed Building Charged, to be Questioned Monday

It is the fault of lebanese law for old rent (There is no owner under the old law of rent that will fix his building).

agree but the owners should have done anything to prevent the death of those people, including getting a technical bureau who would have issued a report that the building is not safe for the actual residents and even more cannot be restored. he could have stopped collecting the rent to show his good intentions and got the authorities through the media to get involved in finding a solution. Today media and social media in particular are very powerful tools that can bring awareness unfortunately like the death of 27 innocent people did to the public opinion.

Aren't there any building inspectors in this country? If there were, they were either corrupt or incompetent--if not, it is a long overdue necessity.

Dear Amal Khoury, what if you don't have two or three hundred thousand to renovate your building? (you know owners renovate with the money they collect from the rents), but what would you do if the government allow those crooks who've been living in those appartments for many, many years for free or $10 a months!

The old rent business has to go. It is long overdue! and why all governments protected the renters? I do feel very sorry for the victims of this tragedy and I believe that unless concrete steps are taken by the authority they will be more tragedies . . . .

آن الأوان لوضع حد لقانون الإيجارات المجحف... كيف يرمم المالك المبنى وهو يتقاضى جفنة من المال لا تكفي لتنظيف درج البناية؟ وإن لم يكن المستأجرون راضين عن حال المنزل، ما ال1ي يجبرهم على البقاء فيه؟ والسؤال: هل دفع سكان البناية المنكوبة ليرة واحدة لصاينة النباية منذ إقامتهم فيها منذ عقود؟ حرام، والله حرام... حرّروا قانون الإيجارات وارحمونا.

to Amal khoury . why dont you look for the facts and stop dreaming. Either you are one of the old building renters under the old rotten law and want to live free occupying someone elses home. like the jews did to the palestinians. Or you are an uneducated piece of garbage. if you are one of the renters living free? you are a zionist and you deserve to be evicted . What gives you the right to live free in peoples homes.? does your religion tells you that? i bet you are one who goes to church on sunday . How dare you face your God? while you are an occupier of poor peoples homes. you are a farrissy.. Go read your bible if you do not know what it is.

Dear Amal, After reading my comment above, I felt a little bit embarrassed of myself with what I said to you. Please accept my apology and please note that this mainly directed to the Lebanese Government. What you said in your post is good in western countries in countries where the government cares! In Lebanon the government don’t want to change the old rent business because most of the Lebanese MPs and Ministers have old rents dating to the 60th especially in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.( They always hide behind the excuse that they don’t want to thru people on the streets by changing the old rent business)…on the other hand you probably know that not every building owner is a certified building inspector or a demolition engineer. Do you think the owner of this building knew it was coming down? I bet you not. Please note that even engineers that have been practicing for years wouldn’t be able to give a date to when it might come down. (read follow up)

Dear Amal (follow up) Do you think if the owner Saadeh have done all you suggested above and spent tons of money on engineers, media and so on, and asked the tenants to leave, they would have left? They would have said it is some kind of trick he is making to get rid of them and they would have asked for re-imbursement probably all what they paid throughout the years time X1000. (which most likely he wouldn’t have.)
What needs to be done here is for the government to make it like the new rent, but starting in 3 years from a set date. This way the renters would try to work something out with the owners, or they would start saving for a down payment to buy their own apartments, and this way no one will be thrown on the street.

RIP to these innocent people. Unsure if we should charge the owners of the building or the successive Lebanese governments for their incompetence. I don't think they should blame these owners, they didn't do anything different than anyone else in Lebanon, seems like they're scapegoats.

We have a big home in our village of Bint Jbeil, obviously not close, but if someone's desperate and needs a place to stay I think we should all open our homes to these innocent people. RIP to those who lost their lives, and may those who lived find peace and security.

When the government tells you how to run your business, then it is responsible not the owners. These owners could have sold it long time ago, instead of collecting these (outrageous) rents. God bless the souls of the victims, I would go after the government.

Unfortunately, should the old rents be actualized, half of the Lebanese population would be in the street because they could not afford new rents...anywhere. It is a tough one...

the government will do nothing for the old rents as they are renting many places under the old rents law! they are the first to benefit from it...

@thepatriot Part of the reason we have such high real estate prices in Beirut is because of the shortage of supply in real estate caused by old rent. If old rents were lifted, true many people will have to move out but the increase in real estate supply will drop prices down across the board, especially for new builds, while old buildings will have their rents increase. In short: prices will stabilize and *normalize*.

To the patriot:
Rent/Mortgage is the first and largest expense of anyone in any democratic nation. Not cars, phones, expensive cloths, entertainment, travel or toys.
My family is the unfortunate owner of a building in Beirut. Most of the tenants that they have could afford everything, but when it comes to rent they all plead poverty. As a matter of fact, out of 12 tenants only one does not own a second home. When I say a second home, I mean home purchased from the money saved after decades of nominal/free rent payments not an inheritance. Is that fair??
Rotten politicians legalized theft by extending old contract at old rates. Is that fair?
Growing up there pretty much frustrated me when the tenants' kids could afford lots of things that my parents could not for me or siblings. The total revenue of the building would not cover an average monthly household expense. For a better and fairer life, I left the country.
(Cont'd)

This accident is very unfortunate, but one has to realize that concrete buildings are fragile, especially, with heat and humidity. but, who should cover the cost of repairs? With what money?
Politicians who sold their conscience for few votes or for their interest or for what they have failed to do should pay the ultimate price.
I feel sorry for the victims, and pray for their souls to rest in peace and for god to comfort their families. What a horrible tragedy !!

hello there tommy sorry iv took so long here is there contact
and details,give them a call ,say michael himpson told you to ring