Bellevue family whose house was destroyed in landslide receives $5M

The city of Bellevue and a school have reached a $5 million settlement with a Bellevue couple who said the two entities bear responsibility for the landslide that destroyed their house in 2022.

John and Barbara Surdi will receive $3 million from the city and $2 million from Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. The Bellevue City Council voted Monday evening to approve the settlement.

The Surdis’ home in Bellevue’s Somerset neighborhood was pushed off its foundation during a landslide Jan. 17, 2022, and partially collapsed with Barbara Surdi and her dog inside. The house, then valued at $2 million, was later demolished.

The settlement concludes nearly two years of litigation and lawsuits.  

A few weeks after the landslide, the city sued the Surdis, calling for their house to be declared a public nuisance and demolished. The Surdis and city reached an agreement soon after for a contractor to recover property that could be salvaged, and the lawsuit was dismissed. The family then sued the city in June 2022, alleging in King County Superior Court the city was negligent in addressing or warning the family about risks associated with living downslope of the asbestos cement water main.  

In January 2023, the city sued Forest Ridge School, which is located above the Surdis’ home, alleging the school failed to properly install a water main, and Forest Ridge later filed a counterclaim against the city.

None of the parties admitted liability. In statements, the city and Forest Ridge School said they were glad to have reached a resolution.

“We are thankful first and foremost that no one was hurt in the landslide that happened last year and that the parties have been able to reach a resolution of the claims brought by the Surdi family,” the city said, adding it still contends the slide occurred “due to factors out of its control.”

David Bricklin, the attorney representing the Surdis, said he and his clients were feeling good about the settlement and that they would receive what they had asked for originally.

“It’s unfortunate it took almost two years to get it, but the Surdis are happy to have this process behind them and are ready to move on with the rest of their lives,” he said.

Bellevue used the city’s general self-insurance fund for the settlement. Additionally, the city has spent at least $1.5 million in construction, legal and other costs associated with the landslide, according to a Seattle Times analysis of city payments.