In 2003, a late-night party in Chicago ended when two levels of rear wooden porches collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. I remember hearing about it and wondering two things: Why were so many people on the porch, and how would anyone know how many people a porch could safely hold?
More than twenty years later, I went back to find out what happened after the headlines disappeared. In this episode of Rental Problems Solved, we look at the party, the questions surrounding the porch itself, earlier City inspections, years of lawsuits and insurance disputes, and the practical lesson for anyone who owns a rental property, or simply has an elevated porch, balcony or deck at home.
This episode is based on court records, City of Chicago records and reporting from the time. Some historical sources differ on the exact number of people on each porch level, so those differences are noted rather than treated as settled fact.
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SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE
• Illinois Appellate Court — Ware v. City of Chicago (2007)
• Illinois Appellate Court — Ware v. First Specialty Insurance Corp. (2013)
• CBS Chicago — 20 Years After the Lincoln Park Porch Collapse (2023)
• CBS/AP — Deadly Porch Had No Permit (2003)
• City of Chicago Data Portal — Building Violations / Inspection Categories
• City of Chicago — Building Permit and Inspection Records / 311 inspection resources