ATLANTA — A federal court has certified a class action for over 220 residents displaced by the 2023 Thanksgiving fire at The Reserve at LaVista Walk apartment complex in Atlanta.
Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May issued the certification order on Nov. 19, 2025, stating that the central question of whether the defendants’ actions or omissions caused the fire applies to all residents.
“This certification means that hundreds of families will finally have their day in court,” Doug Dean, lead counsel for the plaintiffs at Dean Thaxton, LLC, said in a statement.
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The tenants allege that the property’s owners and operators were aware of the building’s deficient fire-safety systems and failed to act.
Residents at LaVista Walks had complained about malfunctioning fire alarms, which triggered numerous false alarms, leading tenants to become desensitized.
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On the night of the fire, some residents hesitated to evacuate, unsure whether the alarm was genuine. Former residents also claim that management knew individuals were accessing the parking deck and roof to discharge fireworks and firearms but took no preventative action.
Documents produced in discovery revealed that local managers requested additional security resources, which were denied by the owners, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.
The fire burned for more than eight hours, collapsing one building and rendering the other uninhabitable, leading to their demolition.
Residents alleged that the property was left unsecured after the fire, resulting in widespread looting before tenants could retrieve their possessions.
Some residents claim they were required to sign liability waivers and threatened with arrest when attempting to salvage their belongings.
The complex also continued billing tenants for rent and service charges despite the uninhabitable conditions.
The certified class includes all residents listed in the defendants’ leasing records as of Nov. 10, 2023, and individual damages will be addressed in subsequent proceedings after the liability determination, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.
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