Danbury is on the hook for a $17 million verdict a Waterbury jury returned in a case that alleged the city issued building permits despite shoddy paperwork and without inspecting the property, leading to dangerous structural issues.

The lawsuit, filed in 2010, alleged Rizzo Corp., not a party in this case, contracted with plaintiff John Girolametti Jr. in 2007 “to provide construction, professional engineering, and architectural services for the construction of a building at the property, known as the ‘Party Depot Building,’” the court’s decision denying the defendant’s motion to set aside the verdict said.