A judge ruled against the owner of the Bangor Mall, saying it must pay more than $1 million after a malfunctioning sprinkler destroyed a store’s inventory.
Namdar Reality Group must pay just over $1.1 million to Tri-State Insurance Company of Minnesota to cover the cost of the destroyed inventory for Furniture, Mattresses & More.
The ruling comes after mall owner Namdar Realty Group failed to respond to multiple letters and did not show up in court for a Sept. 23 hearing for the lawsuit.
Namdar did not respond to a request for comment.
It’s the second million-dollar fine issued this year against Namdar concerning its ownership of the Bangor Mall. The company was supposed to pay the city of Bangor a $1.1 million fine and make repairs over code violations, including a leaky roof and a sewer line break, but had not paid by a July 31 deadline.
In February 2023, the furniture store alerted Bangor Mall ownership to a ceiling leak in the former Sears. The store was vacant at the time and was being used to store inventory for the furniture business. It took the mall two hours to shut off the water, according to the lawsuit.
A sprinkler pipe in the ceiling later burst, causing more damage, the lawsuit said.
The judgment does not include Maine Fire Protection Systems, which has shown up for court and responded to filings. The lawsuit between the insurance company and the sprinkler company is expected to continue.
Penobscot County Judge Bruce Mallonee signed the decision Sept. 24. The binding court order will mean the insurance company won against the New York-based mall owner.