Simone Mendes Ordered to Halt Work After Retaining-Wall Collapse as Case Moves Toward STJ

Overview

• A retaining wall tied to construction on Simone Mendes’s Alphaville lot collapsed and sent water, mud and debris into neighbor Léo Stuart’s property during heavy rains on November 6, 2024, damaging outdoor areas and parts of the house.
• A first-instance injunction ordered Simone to stop the work and restore both properties within 30 working days under a daily fine of R$2,000 capped at R$200,000, and the Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo has confirmed that urgent measure.
• Court-appointed forensic engineers and a criminal pericia found the wall lacked drainage and sufficient structural support and said saturated soil made the wall act like a ‘barragem’ that pushed on the neighbor’s wall.
• Simone’s legal team disputes those findings with a private engineering report, blames exceptional rains and the hired contractor, has missed a July 21, 2026 conciliation hearing, and filed a Recurso Especial to bring the case to the STJ.
• The suit seeks roughly R$1.3 million for repairs and moral damages and cites losses such as a piano valued near R$400,000, a damaged pool and a dead carp, and the plaintiff is pressing the court to enforce repairs amid continued safety concerns and pending STJ review.