Coworkers raising money for man whose condo building collapsed

BOSTON — An empty space is all that remains of three condos from a South Boston building, more than a century old.

In the early morning hours of March 22, the side wall on the O Street triple decker suddenly partially collapsed. Only one resident was home, and she was able to safely escape with the help of police. 

The city declared the building a total loss, and it has since been demolished.

Pablo Rojas lived on the third floor.

"I'm taking it one day at a time because there's been so much uncertainty about what my options are, it's been hard to say I think this is where I can go with all of this," said Rojas.

After the accident, he learned the HOA's master deed insurance had lapsed. The Master Deed defines unit space, what is common areas and sets the rules for the condo. His insurance is refusing to pay.

He is, however, still paying a mortgage that doesn't even exist.

"There's no clear path and that's the most frustrating," he said.

In the midst of his financial and emotional struggles, Rojas coworkers at Laugh Boston, where he is the general manager, have organized a benefit show Monday night - as a way to help him start to move forward.

"Because the insurance is not covering anything, the cost of demolition is put on the owners and so my percentage alone wiped me out...just trying to see where I can go to get back to zero and keep pushing forward," said Rojas.

The fundraiser is called Together We Rebuild and tickets are still available. There's a raffle and auction items, with prizes including Red Sox tickets and a signed Julian Edelman Jersey. Friends have also started a GoFundMe for him.

Rojas tells me there is still no official cause, so the collapse remains a mystery.

Cox Media Group