Cambridge condo owners face $9 million bill

The city of Cambridge is sending bills to the former owners of the Riverview condo building for a total of $9 million. The charges cover the cost of demolishing the nine-story structure, which was torn down this year after residents fled in 2024 due to dangerous structural issues in the concrete.

Individual owners received invoices ranging from $36,000 to $244,000. These amounts include expenses for dismantling the building, police details, and asbestos disposal. A city spokesperson said that if owners do not pay, the city can record a lien on the property. As of late October, only one-third of the bills had been paid.

Linda Salter, 80, lived in a Riverview unit for less than two years before the evacuation. She described the situation as a catastrophe for the group of mostly elderly residents. Salter said the owners feel a lack of control over the process, a feeling that weighs heavily on them at their age.

The owners cannot yet sell the vacant riverfront land because of a dispute in Land Court. The condo association planned to divide sale proceeds based on each owner's share of the building, typically around 1 percent. They believed any remaining mortgage debt was a private matter between the owner and the bank.

Mortgage lenders are challenging this approach. Lawyers for the banks filed documents arguing that a 2008 federal housing law entitles them to be paid off first. They claim this right applies even if the unpaid mortgage balance exceeds the unit owner's share of the proceeds. The banks also argued they should be paid before the city records liens for the demolition costs.

Court documents indicate that if the lenders' argument holds, owners who hold their units free and clear may have to help pay off their neighbors' mortgages before receiving their own share. The exact amount owed on these mortgages has not been made public. A judge is currently considering this issue along with other legal questions.

Two local real estate attorneys said they had never seen lenders make this specific argument. Richard Brooks, a condo attorney not involved in the case, called the bank's position confusing. He noted that if owners fight over their shares, the legal process could take a long time. An appraisal due in November may provide a clue to the land's value, but the final price will depend on developer interest.

The community has dispersed since the demolition. Some residents moved into apartments or with family, while others use second homes or consider independent living facilities. At least four former residents have died since the evacuation. Salter noted that the slow pace of the legal fight is difficult to manage at 80 years old.