Myrtle Beach neighbors sue after Christmas apartment fire caused over $200k damage
Neighbors next to a south Myrtle Beach apartment complex that went up in flames are suing the owner for negligence, saying there wasn’t enough fire protection equipment in the building.
Jose and Claudia Garcia are suing Ann Lusk and the Atlantic Sands Motel for negligence, nuisance and for violating South Carolina’s Unfair Trade Practices Act. The Garcias filed the lawsuit on May 5.
Lusk did not respond to a request to comment before publication.
On Christmas Day 2024, the Atlantic Sands, 308 2nd Ave. N, caught fire, which sent out a large plume of smoke visible from miles away, The Sun News reported. The fire destroyed the building and displaced all 19 tenants.
The Garcias live at 306 2nd Ave. N and their home sustained over $200,000 in fire damage, according to court documents. The fire damaged the window frames and singles, melted the siding of their home and damaged and destroyed the vinyl fence.
The house contains asbestos which complicated the repair process, the suit said.
The lawsuit alleges Lusk did not install fire alarms, fire extinguishers, sprinklers or smoke alarms in all the units at the Atlantic Sands Motel. There was no management onsite when the fire occurred. The Garcias also state the apartment was not registered to do business in South Carolina.
The Garcias requested a jury trial and to be awarded damages, attorney’s fees and costs associated with the lawsuit.
The Atlantic Sands was first built as a mom-and-pop motel, but Lusk turned it into an apartment building, she previously told The Sun News.
