Detailed Chinese drywall ruling to be expected
by admin on 08/03/10 at 11:22 am
The initial trial that began last month to determine the protocol to fix homes contaminated by Chinese drywall came to an end Monday, March 1st. U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon is expected to release a detailed ruling within the next few weeks.
During the trial homeowners gave statements regarding the heartache Chinese drywall has caused their families, while scientists and engineers presented detailed evidence of the amount of work that would need to be done in order to restore these homes.
The ruling is expected to include the extent of remediation, as well as a monetary judgment against Taishan Gypsum Co. “The plaintiff’s attorneys are asking for at least 2.5 million to be awarded to seven Virginia families whose homes have the contaminated Taishan drywall.” Remediation costs, estimated by several independent Virginia home builders, came out to $86 per square foot.
The trial was expected to last at least 5 days, however with the withdrawal of Taishan leading to no cross-examination or defense witnesses, it only lasted two.
Dean A. Rutila, of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger an environmental consulting firm, studied the seven Virginia homes as well as the control homes. He has also visited homes in Florida that were contaminated by Chinese drywall stating that the damage, or corrosion, caused by Chinese drywall “is unacceptable from the perspective of life safety and the building code.” Remediation “requires the replacement of all drywall, electrical equipment and all copper and silver components in the houses.” During the trial Mr. Rutila presented the results of testing done in the affect homes.
PATRICIA SPENCER
Mar 28th, 2010
It is a travesty that those of us victimized by the use of contaminated Chinese Drywall in our homes have had to wait so long to have the issued addressed.
My husband and I brought a new home (which was still under construction) in late 2006. We refused to buy a home in New Orleans that had been remediated for mold contamination after Hurricane Katrina because we were afraid that the remediation process may not have completely elimated the threat. We now sit in a home that is detrimental to our health because even though the home builder had a contract with the supplier not to use Chinese Drywall, the contractor, out of greed for quick money, used the inferior product anyway!
It is unfathomable that in a nation that has lemon laws to protect consumers against worthless cars, a new home with dangerous chemicals in it can be sold and the legality of the sale has to be debated so long!
My husband and I can not afford to pay rent for some place else to stay while the courts make a decision. So we stay and pray while we hope that the courts come to a just decision. Does Justice
Deferred mean Justice Denied?