Mar 16 2009
Parker Waichman Alonso LLP is offering free consultations to Florida homeowners' associations and condominium associations in communities that have reported problems with defective Chinese drywall. Parker Waichman Alonso LLP already represents scores of Florida homeowners.
Representatives of homeowners' associations or condo associations affected by defective Chinese drywall are invited to contact Parker Waichman Alonso by visiting www.yourlawyer.net/drywall or by calling 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
According to an article on Newsinferno.com, since January, the Florida Health Department has received scores of complaints about drywall that has polluted homes with a putrid, "rotten-egg" smell. Many homeowners have also complained that the fumes coming from this material are causing air conditioning coils and other metals to corrode. Some residents of homes and condominiums built with Chinese drywall have also experienced health problems, including respiratory symptoms and nosebleeds. In many cases, the fumes emitted by Chinese drywall have forced families to flee their homes.
The article states that the problem appears to be primarily from drywall imported from China during Florida's construction boom years of 2004-2005. Drywall normally used in Florida homes and condos is usually manufactured in the United States, but a shortage between 2004 and 2006 prompted many builders to buy drywall from China. It is estimated that more than 10-million square feet of the Chinese drywall was imported to southwest Florida during that time period.
Parker Waichman Alonso LLP was one of the first Florida law firms to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of victims of this Chinese drywall (2:09-cv-00054-UA-DNF). The lawsuit names the manufacturers of the defective drywall, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co., Ltd., and Knauf Group, as defendants. The trading company that imported the drywall, Rothchilt International Limited, is also named in the suit, as is Florida-based Banner Supply.
The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District court in Fort Myers, alleges that the defendants were negligent. The lawsuit also alleges that the material was unreasonably dangerous because it causes corrosion to air-conditioning and electrical components and that it also causes coughing and irritation of sinuses, eyes and throats.
When combined with moisture in the air, sulfur compounds in the drywall create sulfuric acid that produces the putrid odor that characterizes homes and condos built with defective Chinese drywall.
The true extent of the Chinese drywall problem is not yet known, however Parker Waichman Alonso believes tens of thousands of Florida homes and condominiums may have been built with the defective material. In fact, recent reports have shown that the toxic Chinese drywall has affected homeowners outside of Florida including California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and perhaps even other states.
In many instances, condominium associations and homeowners' associations may have been responsible for expenses relating to repairs of air conditioning other systems damaged by fumes emitted from defective Chinese drywall. For that reason we are offering free consultations to condominium associations and homeowners' associations in communities where these problems have been reported. Representatives of these organizations may arrange for a consultation by visiting www.yourlawyer.net/drywall.