Owners get release forms to authorize removal of vehicles stuck in Empire Towers
Owners of vehicles still stuck inside Empire Towers may be days away from getting their vehicles back, but some are expressing concerns about the form that needs to be signed to do it.
WJZ obtained an email from attorneys for the owners of Empire Towers stating that the removal process could start as early as Sept. 21. The goal is to remove at least half of the cars this month.
The Glen Burnie office building has been closed since July 9 due to structural and safety concerns.
The possibility of vehicles being removed comes as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has officially put in a request for financial assistance to help impacted businesses.
What the release form asks
Liam McGeehan's car has now been trapped inside the Empire Towers garage for 71 days. For him to get it out, he and other vehicle owners have to sign a three-page release form Structural Preservation Systems, LLC -- the company handling the removals.
The form asks the owner to agree not to hold Structural Preservation Systems responsible for any possible damage from the initial event in July to after the vehicle's removal.
McGeehan, a paralegal who works in Empire Towers, was initially concerned about the terms. However, he's since signed it.
"My understanding of the agreement is, just based on the language of it, I'm assuming the risk and saying I won't go after the people removing the car for anything that's happened," he said.
McGeehan adds that he's lucky he even has the option to sign it.
"I'm certainly happier than a lot of my co-workers. I think only four or five people that work for my law firm, out of I think about 20 people with trapped cars, are getting theirs back," he said.
Federal assistance
Moore has requested help from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in the form of Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
The loans can go up to $2 million, with interest rates as low as 4%, and they can cover operating expenses like payroll, rent and utilities.
"These small businesses, ranging from medical clinics and insurance agencies, to commercial cleaning and training services, are the backbone of the community," the governor said in a statement.
This assistance will be available to businesses even if they didn't suffer any physical property damage.
Crews are now in the middle of Phase 2 of the emergency stabilization process, according to an email sent to Empire Towers tenants.
It is estimated that the stabilization efforts will end by the end of September, but could go longer.
McGeehan said his office just finished a renovation in the building before all of this happened. He noted that his office is making do since he and his co-workers are still able to work in other offices. He knows others aren't as fortunate.
"There are tons of other businesses that maybe this was their only office, so they really did have to just start completely from scratch," McGeehan said. "There are people who haven't been working, there are people that they've just put everything on hold."
The Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation did launch a grant program for businesses impacted by the situation, which provided more than $127,000 to 51 businesses.
