The Lubja 2a apartment building is located on the left bank of the Emajõgi River. According to residents, one side of the building has sunk by 37 centimeters already, and gotten so dangerous that if this sinking cannot be stopped, the building will ultimately collapse.

Under Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) orders, as of this week, residents of Lubja 2a are no longer allowed to live in the building or remain inside it for more than an hour at a time.

Most of the building's residents have already moved out, but an exception was made until April for those who have nowhere else to go.

"This building has been declared uninhabitable," said Grete Mark, one of the residents of the sinking building. "We ourselves wrote to TTJA that the earliest we could move out is in April. We and one other household are the last ones still in the process of moving out."

According to Mark, it hasn't been healthy to live in the building for some time already. "As for whether it's life-threatening, that you usually don't know until afterward," she continued. "But we're doing our best to get away from here."

Residents believe the sinking has been caused by the use of incorrect foundation piling. They have taken the builder to court, and the ruling in this case could set a precedent, as the lawsuit was filed not against the development company established by the builder for the project, but directly against the builder itself — Mapri Ehitus OÜ.

The court was expected to issue an interim ruling at the end of February but did not do so, instead opting to conduct an on-site inspection involving all parties. The TTJA is also investigating the cause of the sinking, with a final audit expected to be completed by May.

"According to the injunction, with one exception, [the building] may not be used starting tomorrow, but residents may enter the building for one hour per day to remove their belongings," TTJA building safety chief specialist Kristi Malm told ERR on Tuesday.

"A building [audit] needs to be carried out to determine the cause of the sinking," she explained. "[This will involve] excavation — excavation of the foundation — to physically see what kinds of piles the builder had placed under the building, and whether these piles match those specified in the construction project or not."

Builder blames work on neighboring property

Although Mapri Ehitus could not be reached for comment, the company has previously stated that they believe this sinking has been caused by ground elevation work on a neighboring property.

However, Andres Aint, the City of Tartu's building supervision chief, doesn't consider this to be a likely cause.

"It isn't plausible," Aint said. "That lot is far enough from the building, and this is low-lying land along the Emajõgi, where ground elevation is common. In this case, raising the ground level was permitted under a building permit, and the current [ground] level is the correct level."

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