One Homeowner's Tragic Odyssey After Unwittingly Buying Newly-Constructed Home Built With Chinese Drywall

In Norfolk, Virginia, The Virginian-Pilot reports on the story of a local resident who suffered the great misfortune of buying a new home that was doomed by the toxic building material known as Chinese drywall. An excerpt:

• [Michelle] Germano's father, an Italian immigrant, built an apartment on the back of a service station he owned on East Ocean View Avenue between 18th and 19th Bay streets. She lived there with her family after she was born in 1950, but bars and strip clubs eventually moved in and changed the character of the neighborhood.
  
  "My dad loved Ocean View, and he would say before he died 34 years ago, 'Ocean View is going to come back,' " Germano said.
  
  Germano served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and then held executive positions in health care and recruiting industries in New York, Washington and Connecticut.
  
  In the late 1990s, she went through a second divorce and lost her job in 2001. Her robust income dropped by two-thirds, and she used up most of her savings.
  
  After saving enough for a down payment, she decided in June 2006 to act on her younger brother's encouragement and a "spiritual instinct" to return to Ocean View.
  
  "I picked Harbor Walk because it was a community," Germano said. "I felt it was a nice place to settle, walk my dog and feel a sense of community. I felt I had come back home."
  
  Chinese drywall ruined lives across the country, but it took years before anyone realized it was the root of seemingly unrelated problems.
  
  Germano's air-conditioning system failed about a year after she moved into her condo. Months later, a second AC unit failed, as did her television, radio, computer, telephones and hair dryer. Her refrigerator broke six times, and it was eventually declared a lemon by Sears, she said.
  
  In May 2008, she began to have health problems.
  
  Germano worked full time from home for Grayling Associates, a Bloomfield, Conn.-based company that recruits executives in the financial services industry. She's currently a vice president.
  
  She said she spent some days in bed because her body felt paralyzed by pain. She also had severe gynecological, breathing and eye problems.
  
  Germano's medical records, which she released to The Virginian-Pilot, document extensive trips to specialists over the years, numerous tests and attempts to identify what was causing her pain.
  
  On January 29, 2009, Germano saw a news report about Chinese drywall, and the pieces started to fall into place. Experts had begun to realize the walls were releasing hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur compounds, especially when humidity rose.
  
  Hydrogen sulfide, known as "sewer gas," is colorless, flammable, poisonous and pungent. It smells like rotten eggs or burned matches, but after exposure over time, it can become difficult to detect the odor.
  
  The highly corrosive gas is produced by the breakdown of organic materials, and it pools in low-lying areas because it's heavier than air. It can turn copper wires black and render them useless - even if they're protected by plastic coating. It fries essentially anything that runs on electricity.
  
  Homeowners noticed that jewelry, dishes, utensils, faucets and light fixtures were turning black and couldn't be polished. Some were pitted, as if something were eating away at them.
  
  Germano said she lost nearly $250,000 in furnishings and personal belongings.
  
  Hydrogen sulfide is quickly absorbed by the lungs. Extremely high concentrations can kill a person instantly.
  
  Studies haven't been done on the health effects of prolonged exposure to lower concentrations. Families in homes built with Chinese drywall have complained about serious health problems from kidney cancer to chronic bladder infections.
  
  Several families interviewed by The Pilot lost pets while living in the toxic homes, but studies haven't explored the effect of hydrogen sulfide on animals.
  
  Germano's dog, Spirit, grew weak and had a hard time breathing in the house, she said. She started drinking muddy water outside rather than the fresh water Germano provided inside.
  
  After several visits to the vet, Spirit was diagnosed with kidney disease but improved after moving out of the condo.
  
  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted a study of Chinese drywall but didn't believe it had enough evidence for a recall. Another study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the drywall could cause such problems as headaches, nosebleeds and breathing difficulty, but the CDC didn't research more serious health problems.
  
  Most physicians won't link Chinese drywall directly to the most serious health problems, either. Still, Germano and many other families who breathed the gases for years said their symptoms improved or went away after moving out.
  
  When it became clear in early 2009 that Harbor Walk's developer was not going to repair her condo, Germano moved into a rental and filed a lawsuit through Norfolk attorney Richard Serpe.
  
  Serpe eventually became the lead attorney in Hampton Roads handling Chinese drywall cases.
  
  Germano's suit, filed along with a handful of other homeowners', sought restitution from developers, builders, the supplier who imported the material and the Chinese manufacturer. Harbor Walk Development LLC was among the defendants named in the suit.

For more, see Condo association files 2nd suit against woman forced to move due to Chinese drywall.

Developers Knew Of Chinese Drywall "Stench" & Installed The Defective Wallboard Anyway?

In South Florida, the Broward-Palm Beach New Times reports:

• [S]everal sources involved with the investigation of Chinese drywall tell [New Times] that they've discovered that the developers and their employees knew about the stench while they were installing the defective wall board. Some union workers even refused to work with the Chinese drywall because of the severe sulfur-like smell. They feared that the smell was an indication that the drywall was rotted and could lead to liability later.

• Other employees of developers figured out that the smell would subside after the drywall was painted, so workers were told to paint quickly in order to mask the smell. Such [admissions] have come as law firms suing the developers talk to construction workers who hung the defective drywall. One worker told a law firm investigator that records regarding the drywall were kept in a truck "because they didn't want it in one place."

***

• Most of the Chinese drywall lawsuits are now on hold until a federal court called the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decides whether to have all the cases heard by one judge. The panel held a hearing last week in Kentucky and is expected to decide in a couple weeks whether to combine them and, if so, where. If the suits are combined, there's a good chance it could end up in Florida, where 15,000 homeowners have joined 150 separate lawsuits.Besides, it wouldn't be hard to find their way to Florida. Just follow the smell from the developers.

For more, see Construction Workers Admit They Installed a Stink Bomb with Chinese Drywall.

Go here for other posts on Chinese drywall.

Go here for links to recent media reports on the problems with "Chinese drywall."

Fannie Mae Unloads Chinese Drywall-Infected Home On Unwitting Central Florida Couple After Giving Foreclosed Property Quick Paint Job, New Appliances

In DeLand, Florida, WFTV-TV Channel 9 reports:

• A DeLand couple claim that 10 months after buying their new home they feel homeless. They said they moved out within days after discovering it was built with Chinese drywall. The defective drywall releases sulfur gas that makes people sick. The couple believes the seller covered it up.
  
  “Can you live inside this home?” Action 9 reporter Todd Ulrich asked homeowner Cristina Ridenhour. “No absolutely not,” she said. She said the garage is the only place in the home that she and her husband consider safe. “As soon as I walk in the smell hits me and it causes a headache,” Ridenhour said.
  
  They bought the home 10 months ago when mortgage giant Fannie Mae sold the foreclosed property which included fresh paint and new appliances. But the week they moved in, neighbors mentioned Chinese drywall to them.
  
  “Everybody in the neighborhood basically knew it had Chinese drywall, but they figured somebody took care of it,” she said. Ridenhour said she and her two children already had headaches.
  
  She said through online searches they discovered that defective drywall corrodes copper, air conditioning and appliances. She said her home was suffering similar effects.
  
  Professional testing confirmed high levels of corrosives gas was released by the Chinese drywall. After getting the result, they moved out for good and sued their home inspection company, that they said didn't find any serious issues and dismissed a strange smell.
  
  Ridenhour said their biggest target is Fannie Mae, that paid contractors to fix the house it sold "as is."
  
  “They would have known something is wrong absolutely,” said Joe Ridenhour. “They would not have been able to sell the house had they not covered it up,” Ridenhour said.
  
  In Florida sellers must disclose known defects. But in foreclosure, sales experts say it’s far harder to prove what a lender and its contractors really knew.
  
  “Fannie Mae is very difficult to fight. It will be up to witnesses to say who knew what and when,” attorney Karen Wonsettler said.
  
  Fannie Mae representatives told Action 9 there are protocols for its contractors and Realtors to detect Chinese drywall before the sale and it is reviewing the couple's claim.
  
  “We can't in good conscious just let our money go to waste,” said Ridenhour.
  
  A national class action lawsuit against Chinese manufacturers has closed, so they can't qualify for damages.
  
  Fixing these kinds of homes can cost $80,000 to $120,000, and the remediation can be very complicated.
  
  According to the Ridenhours, Adams Cameron Realty is working to help get this family back into their home.

Source: Local family feels homeless after buying toxic home.

Federal Class Action Suit Targets Use Of "Chinese Drywall" Used In Building Florida Homes

The South Florida Business Journal reports:

• A federal lawsuit alleges that fly ash residue from Chinese power plants was used in drywall that's the subject of growing scrutiny in Florida. The suit, which seeks class action status in U.S. District court in Fort Myers, alleges 10 million square feet of the drywall was used in Florida homes. If true, the allegation indicates more than 200,000 sheets of the drywall were used in the state – enough to build 800 to 2,000 homes, depending on their size.

***

• The federal suit claims that the defendants, [...] negligently manufactured and sold the defective drywall, which was "unreasonably dangerous" in normal use because it caused corrosion to air-conditioning and electrical components, and caused coughing and irritation of sinuses, eyes and throats. It goes on to state that, “when combined with moisture in the air, these sulfur compounds create sulfuric acid.”

For more, see Class action lawsuit filed over Chinese drywall.

In related stories from The Wall Street Journal, see:

• Is Chinese Drywall the New Mold?;
• Chinese Drywall Cited in Building Woes.

Go here for links to recent media reports on the problems with "Chinese drywall."

Miami Jury Awards Couple $2.5M For Damages Due To Defective Chinese Drywall; Company To Mull Over Possible Appeal

In Miami, Florida, The Miami Herald reports:

• About 2 ½ years after a Miami couple first wondered about the strange odor in their home, a Miami-Dade jury awarded them $2.5 million in damages and expenses Friday, blaming odors and corrosion problems on defective Chinese drywall.

• Armin and Lisa Seifart sued Miami-based Banner Supply after the drywall that the company provided corroded copper pipes and fixtures, ruined their air conditioner and other appliances and made their home smell. The case -- the first jury trial in the country over Chinese drywall -- could set precedent for other lawsuits.(1) Banner has been sued in dozens of cases as have other drywall companies and businesses in the drywall supply chain.

***

• Banner attorney Todd Ehrenreich said the company, [...] is still considering its next move. "We are a bit disappointed. We will weigh all of our rights, including our appellate rights,'' he said.

For more, see Chinese drywall verdict is in: $2.5 million (A jury found Miami-based Banner Supply at fault for the struggles of a Coconut Grove couple whose home was damaged by Chinese drywall. The plaintiffs had sought $4.4 million in the case).

(1) A federal judge in Louisiana awarded $2.6 million to seven Virginia homeowners, finding drywall manufacturer Taishan Gypsum Co. liable for damage, but that company has not participated in U.S. court proceedings, leaving the ruling's effect in limbo, the story states. Reportedly, Judge Eldon Fallon also ruled that manufacturer KPT pay $164,000 to a Louisiana couple for repairs to their house.

Foreclosing Lender Dodges Major Headache; Unloads 141 Repossessed Luxury Units For $24M Cash Before Recent Discovery Of Chinese Drywall In Building

In West Palm Beach, Florida, WPBF-TV Channel 25 reports on The Whitney, a newly-constructed luxury condominium that opened in 2007, but was facing foreclosure by the lender by the end of 2008, and the health problems being complained about by a couple of the condominium residents (no word on the headaches now being felt by the foreign company who plunked down big bucks in February for the remaining unsold units). In a recent letter,(1) the management company has recently informed all the residents of the likely presence of Chinese drywall in the building.

• The Whitney's property manager, Paul Wilkis, told WPBF News 25's investigative reporter Terri Parker that he was not authorized to talk about the drywall problem, but in the letter he sent to residents, he said the board is hiring an engineer to determine the presence and extent of defective Chinese drywall and whether or not it poses hazards to the property.

***

• The Whitney opened in 2007, but was facing foreclosure by the lender by the end of 2008. A Scandinavian investment firm, ABG Sundal Collier, paid $24 million in cash for 141 units in February. Many of the units were offered for rent.

For the story, see Downtown West Palm Beach Condo Has Chinese Drywall (The Whitney Sends Letter To Residents).

In a related story, see South Florida Business Journal: Whitney units sold in bulk for $24M (A Scandinavian investment company has paid $24 million in cash for 141 units of the Whitney condominium in West Palm Beach).

Go here for other posts on Chinese drywall.

(1) According to the story, the letter to all residents said an air-conditioning leak sparked an investigation that led to the discovery of "the likely presence of Chinese drywall."

Chinese Drywall Problem A "Sleeping Beast" In Thousands Of Bank-Owned Condos, Houses?

The Associated Press reports:

• At the height of the U.S. housing boom, when building materials were in short supply, American construction companies used millions of pounds of Chinese-made drywall because it was abundant and cheap. Now that decision is haunting hundreds of homeowners and apartment dwellers who are concerned that the wallboard gives off fumes that can corrode copper pipes, blacken jewelry and silverware, and possibly sicken people.

***

• Dozens of homeowners in the Southeast have sued builders, suppliers and manufacturers, claiming the very walls around them are emitting smelly sulfur compounds that are poisoning their families and rendering their homes uninhabitable. "It's like your hopes and dreams are just gone," said Mary Ann Schultheis, who has suffered burning eyes, sinus headaches, and a general heaviness in her chest since moving into her brand-new, 4,000-square foot house in this tidy South Florida suburb a few years ago. She has few options. Her builder is in bankruptcy, the government is not helping and her lender will not give her a break. "I'm just going to cry," she said. "We don't know what we're going to do."

***

• In another cruel twist, some of the very communities that have been hit hardest by the collapse of the housing market and skyrocketing foreclosure rates are now at the epicenter of the drywall problem. [Construction consultant Michael] Foreman warns of a "sleeping beast" in the thousands of bank-owned condos and houses across the country, with no one in them to complain.

For more, see AP IMPACT: Chinese drywall poses potential risks (Chinese drywall imported during housing boom causes corrosion, possible health risk).

See also, ABC News: Some China-Made Drywall Causing a Stink (Homeowners Have Complained of Sulfur Smells and Corroding Metals).

Go here for other posts on Chinese drywall.

Go here for links to recent media reports on the problems with "Chinese drywall."

Scammers Putting Bogus Chinese Drywall Notices On Vacant Homes In Foreclosure To Drive Down Prices At SW Florida Courthouse Sales?

In Cape Coral, Florida, WINK News reports:

• A mystery in Cape Coral. Notices, warning of Chinese drywall, are popping up on vacant homes in the city. The catch: The warnings are fake! The yellow notices claim to be from the Department of Health, and say the home has been inspected and contains Chinese drywall. Many of the homes are in foreclosure.

• The Lee County Health Department first learned of the fraud from a home inspector and a realtor. They say no health agency within the county or state does these types of inspections.

• Why would someone post fake notices? Local realtor Ron Martin with Sun Realty has a theory. He's seen several of the notices on properties over the past few days. "There seems to be a common theme to the ones I've seen and that is that they're all scheduled to be auctioned at the courthouse within 48 hours," said Martin. "One would have to suspect that someone is trying to discourage competition."

• Posting these fake notices is a crime, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Cape Coral Police Department or call 1-866-9-NO SCAM.

Source: Fake Chinese drywall notices! (Fake Chinese drywall notices on homes in Cape Coral).

Go here for other posts on Chinese drywall.

High Interest In Low Sticker-Priced SW Florida Homes With Chinese Drywall?

In Cape Coral, Florida, WINK News reports:

• For the first time, we're starting to see homes that are known to have toxic Chinese drywall put up for sale. A never-lived-in, four bedroom, two bath home in Northwest Cape Coral is selling for a steal -- just $19,800. But buyer beware: the low sticker price is because the home is infected with Chinese drywall. Still, people are interested. "We are probably experiencing anywhere between 10-15 calls a day in addition to email leads inquiring about property with Chinese drywall," Realtor Jennifer Pentico says.

For more, see Buyer beware: Chinese drywall showing up in foreclosed homes now for sale.

In a related story, see Sarasota Herald Tribune: U.S. Senators press for action on Chinese drywall (TAINTED PRODUCT: Letters are sent requesting more federal intervention).

Class Action Certification Hearing Set In South Florida Chinese Drywall Case

In Miami, Florida, the South Florida Business Journal reports:

• Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Gill S. Freeman has ordered a Sept. 14 hearing to determine if a class action can be certified for homeowners with Chinese drywall in the Keys Gate subdivision in Homestead. The plaintiffs’ homes were constructed with what they allege was defective Chinese drywall. [...] The judge also set a possible trial date for September 2010. Lawyers working on the case say it may be the first Chinese drywall case set for trial nationwide.

• High-sulfur Chinese drywall is believed responsible for strong odors, metal corrosion and health complaints in thousands of homes in Florida and the Southeast. Federal class action suits were combined recently in New Orleans.

For more, see Hearing set to certify Chinese drywall class.

List Of Homeowners Being Forced From Homes By Chinese Drywall Continues To Grow

In Parkland, Florida, CNN reports:

• Sherri and Ira Rojhani stopped paying the mortgage on their 2-year-old South Florida home in April, victims not of a troubled economy, but, they say, of drywall from China that they believe is making them sick. They join a growing list of homeowners in 13 states who face foreclosure or the prospect of paying both their mortgage and rent on alternate housing as they seek relief from what they describe as corrosive gasses emitted from the Chinese drywall(1). The drywall is now the subject of several scientific studies. [...] Espinal made a 40 percent down payment on his home. He's concerned and angry about what's happened to his investment.

For more, see Chinese drywall hits health, wallets, homeowners say.

In a related story, see Get out of house, doctor tells family.

Go here for other posts on Chinese drywall.

(1) According to the story, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says Florida leads the nation in complaints about Chinese drywall. Other complaints from homeowners are coming from Louisiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, California, Washington, Wyoming, Arizona, Tennessee and Washington D.C. Many homeowner's have turned to their home insurance companies for help, only to find that any problems would not be covered by homeowner's policies.

Wave Of Chinese Drywall-Related Homeowners' Insurance Cancellations Begins Hitting Louisiana; Homeowner Could Face Threat Of Foreclosure, Job Loss

In New Orleans, Louisiana, The Times Picayune reports:

• In August, Tamara Thomas filed a claim with her homeowners insurance company after discovering that her air conditioning and other appliances had failed because her three-year-old home was filled with defective drywall made in China. But before the Hanover Insurance Group even denied the claim, as most insurers have been doing with claims for Chinese drywall damage, it canceled her policy, effective Nov. 19. The Massachusetts company said there had been a "substantial change in risk" because the home was no longer occupied since Thomas and her family had begun staying in the guest room at her parents' house out of concerns over how the drywall was affecting their health.

***

• So far, most insurance policy cancellations have been taking place in Florida. In Louisiana, insurers were universally denying claims, but it was believed that a state law making it difficult for insurers to drop coverage for homeowners who have been customers for at least three years would largely keep policies in place. But advocates for Chinese drywall victims have reported that in the past few weeks, a wave of cancellations has begun to unfold in Louisiana, even with people like Thomas, who had insurance on her home with Hanover for just over three years.(1)

• "I'm hearing it every day now," said state Sen. Julie Quinn, R-Metairie, who has been holding town hall meetings about Chinese drywall issues. In canceling policies, insurers often cite the failure to maintain the home in insurable condition, or vacancies, Quinn said.

For more, see Insurers have begun cancelling policies on Louisiana homes with tainted drywall.

(1) Reportedly, while investigations into Chinese-manufactured drywall continue, Thomas now finds herself in a string of no-win situations. Although Thomas' skin problems, her husband's nosebleeds and her daughters' respiratory ailments have improved since they began staying at her parents' house, the insurance cancellation has caused a new set of nightmares, the story states.

When she got the cancellation letter, Thomas immediately called her mortgage lender to tell the company about the situation. Her lender suggested that she contact the bank's force-placement insurance company to get coverage so that she would remain in compliance with the terms of her loan. But the force-placement company said that it couldn't bind coverage since she has an active problem at the house and has made a claim. She has since contacted Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state's insurer of last resort, but an agent with Citizens has advised her that it may not be able to write a policy for the same reason.

Failure to get new coverage in place by Nov. 19 will potentially put her in violation of the terms of her mortgage and at risk of foreclosure. If her loan goes into default, Thomas also risks losing her job, because, as a financial consultant, she is required by her employer to maintain perfect credit. "I have a $270,000 home that's worth zero dollars," Thomas said. "No one's going to insure me. My house could be foreclosed upon. I'm still paying my mortgage on a house I can't live in."

Insurers Begin Bailing On Homeowners As Chinese Drywall Complaints Start Clogging Claims Pipeline

In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Associated Press reports:

• James and Maria Ivory's dreams of a relaxing retirement on Florida's Gulf Coast were put on hold when they discovered their new home had been built with Chinese drywall that emits sulfuric fumes and corrodes pipes. It got worse when they asked their insurer for help — not only was their claim denied, but they've been told their entire policy won't be renewed.

• Thousands of homeowners nationwide who bought new houses constructed from the defective building materials are finding their hopes dashed, their lives in limbo. And experts warn that cases like the Ivorys', in which insurers drop policies or send notices of non-renewal based on the presence of the Chinese drywall, will become rampant as insurance companies process the hundreds of claims currently in the pipeline.

***

• "This is like the small wave that's out on the horizon that's going to continue to grow and grow until it becomes a tsunami," said Florida attorney David Durkee, who represents hundreds of homeowners who are suing builders, suppliers and manufacturers over the drywall. "This is going to become critical mass very shortly."(1)

For more, see Insurers dropping Chinese drywall policies (Thousands of homeowners nationwide are finding their hopes dashed).

In related stories, see:

• Sarasota Herald Tribune: Nelson blasts firms axing home policies (Senator demands accounting from companies),
• Naples Daily News: Homeowners with toxic drywall learn suing is not easy, or is ability to clean homes,
• WINK News: Couple says home made with defective American drywall.

(1) An inability to obtain insurance on a home used as collateral for a mortgage could constitute a default in the loan agreement, leaving the homeowner under a threat of foreclosure.

Struggle Continues For Homeowners With Chinese Drywall Problems As Few Companies Step Forward To Accept Responsibility

In Plant City, Florida, The New York Times reports:

• Linda and Randall Hunter own their dream house in Plant City, Fla., with an oversize master bedroom, granite countertops in the kitchen and a screened-in pool. The problem is they cannot bear to live there. For the last several months, the Hunters have been camped out in the side yard in a trailer — uncomfortable mattresses and all — because faulty drywall left the house smelling awful. “Living in the trailer is no easy thing,” Ms. Hunter said. “But I count my blessings that I have someplace to go.”

***

• Complaints about the drywall, or wallboard, which was mostly made in China, first surfaced a few years ago, and hundreds of lawsuits have been filed in state and federal court to recover money to replace it. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission has received 3,500 complaints about the drywall and says it believes thousands more have not reported the problem.

• But so far the relief has been negligible. Most insurance companies have yet to pay a dime. Only a handful of home builders have stepped forward to replace the tainted drywall. Help offered by the government — like encouraging lenders to suspend mortgage payments and reducing property taxes on damaged homes — has not addressed the core problem of replacing the drywall. And Chinese manufacturers have argued that United States courts do not have jurisdiction over them.

• “They are hiding behind the ocean,” said Arnold Levin, lead lawyer in a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Chinese drywall in federal court in New Orleans.

***

• The Hunters decided to buy the trailer — it cost $18,000 — after their insurance company told them it would not cover their home for vandalism or theft if they moved. They are now gutting their house with their own money and hope to eventually recoup their expenses in court. “The trailer is a life raft,” said Ms. Hunter, 57.

For more, see Limited Relief for Owners of Homes With Drywall Flaws.

Repeatedly-Failing Air Conditioner Marks Beginning Of Journey On Rocky Road For One Florida Family

In Manatee County, Florida, the Bradenton Herald reports on the problems faced by local couple Joe and Brittany Baker after a May 2009 repair visit by a service technician mentioned that Chinese drywall might be the culprit for the repeated air conditioner problems in their recently-constructed home. The suspicion was reportedly confirmed a few days later by a home inspector.

• That was enough to convince Brittany Baker, eight months’ pregnant at the time, to move in with her in-laws while Joe Baker was undergoing U.S. Army training in Colorado. The stress would only escalate, Brittany Baker said.

• At first, she worried the drywall would affect her unborn baby’s health. “Luckily she’s healthy,” Brittany Baker said.

• There was the struggle to get the builder, deMorgan Communities, to admit it has used Chinese drywall in the Bakers’ house — followed by its contention that it, too, was a victim and couldn’t do anything for the Bakers.

• There were the break-ins — at least five, by Brittany Baker’s count — at the unoccupied house, with thieves taking everything from leftover food to camping gear. A neighbor who interrupted one burglary found the thieves had left behind suitcases full of items, including an urn containing her father’s ashes. "That was the biggest stress, the house being broken into over and over,” she said.

• Then there were the financial worries. The Bakers wondered if they could continue to keep paying the mortgage on a home they no longer felt safe to live in and, if they couldn’t, whether it would jeopardize Joe Baker’s security clearance and assignment to MacDill Air Force Base. After making arrangements with the Army, the Bakers stopped paying the mortgage and moved into the rental house last month. “We really can’t afford to rent a house and pay the bills and pay a mortgage on top of it, but we have to, to make sure our daughter is safe,” Brittany Baker said.

• Like many others, the Bakers hope to get some relief through the courts. They are among more than 2,100 homeowners who are suing Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd, a Chinese drywall manufacturer, and more than 600 homebuilders, suppliers, distributors and installers in the massive federal class-action lawsuit. More than 30 Manatee homeowners are among the plaintiffs, and deMorgan is among the defendants. The case is expected to go to trial in March as part of a series of bellwether cases designed to narrow legal issues such as liability.

For the story, see Drywall keeps owners in limbo.

Florida AG Warns Against Falling For Chinese Drywall Remediation Scams

From the Office of the Florida Attorney General:

• Attorney General Bill McCollum [last week] issued a consumer advisory to Florida homeowners affected by Chinese drywall, encouraging them to avoid scams related to the situation. At least two types of fraudulent activity involving the defective drywall have been reported to the Attorney General's Office by individuals in the building industry: bogus tests to determine the presence of the product and quick cure remedies which falsely claim to remove the corrosive properties of the product. The Attorney General cautioned homeowners not to fall victim to these scams and others which may develop.

For the entire press release, see McCollum: Con Artists Taking Advantage of Chinese Drywall Concerns.

Florida Woman Sick Over Living In "Chinese Drywall Prison;" Sunk Life Savings Into Now-Worthless House; Safer To Live In Car, Says Doc

In Port St. Lucie, Florida, WPTV-TV Channel 5 reports:

• Gloria Berson loved her house. She had the kitchen she always wanted and big plans to turn it into her private paradise. "It was our dream home," she says. Then things started getting weird. The AC blew and the pipes turned black. The TV started losing its color. The jewelry and silverware turned splotchy. All symptoms that the 26-hundred square feet of drywall in this home came courtesy of China.

• "We're stuck in a beautiful toxic house," says Berson. Then she started getting sick. She has nose bleeds and she's constantly tired and she wonders what her house is doing to her while she sleeps. "Nobody knows what the long term side-effects are going to be. It could be brain tumor, heart attack. Who knows what it's going to do to me."

• Berson is currently fighting with her insurance company, but they told her they'd never heard of Chinese drywall prior to her claim. She's also involved in a class action lawsuit against her home builder and the drywall manufacturers. That suit however could take years. The problem for Berson is she's got nowhere to go. Before she was laid off, she'd sunk her life savings into the place. Now, it's worth nothing. She can't sell it. She can't afford to leave it. All that's left for her is foreclosure, but even then, she'll be homeless. That leaves her with few options, except for the advice her own doctor gave her. "He said you'd be safer living in your car. I'm thinking about it."

Source: This prison made of drywall.

Beware Of Sleazy Sales Practices In Marketing Bank-Owned Foreclosures Tainted With Chinese Drywall

In Williamsburg, Virginia, The Virginian-Pilot reports:

• At $207,000, the five-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot home in Williamsburg sounds like a phenomenal deal, even in this housing market. “Yes the price is correct!” reads the real estate listing in a local online database of homes for sale. “What an opportunity. Property to convey 'as is, where is.’”

• But not even the fine print lets potential homebuyers know why this property – which sold for $383,000 in 2006 – is such a bargain. It’s one of several houses containing tainted Chinese-made drywall that have been popping up on the market recently. At least a half-dozen such homes were listed for sale on Friday. Although some disclose to the public the presence of the drywall, other listings disclose that information only to other real estate agents.

***

• Bill and Deborah Morgan lost the home at 8495 Ashington Way in Williamsburg to foreclosure after leaving the house amid health concerns. The property is now owned by mortgage giant Freddie Mac, which hired Prudential Towne Realty to sell it at a deep discount. The description seen by the public on the house only hints at the work that is needed on the property.

***

• Two other listed homes also offered potential buyers no hints that there was anything wrong with the properties. [...] Tanya Cosmini , the home’s agent with Abbitt Realty Co., said part of the problem is that there are no rules on how to disclose the tainted drywall.(1)

For more, see Buyer beware: This home contains Chinese-made drywall.

(1) If the (clueless???) real estate agent really said this, it should be pointed out to her that they same rules that apply to disclosing any fact that can can materially affect the value of property being offered for sale apply to the disclosure of tainted drywall. The fact that the home's deeply-discounted asking price may already reflect that there is something wrong with the home doesn't relieve the agent's disclosure obligation. For her sake, I hope she was misquoted.

Toxic Chinese Drywall Suspected Source Of Health Problems For C. Florida Homeowners, Pets; May Also Be Cause Of Home Equipment, Electronics Failures

In Manatee County, Florida, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reports:

• As the investigation into toxic Chinese drywall continues, a single street in Manatee County appears to be ground zero for the largest cluster of problem homes. Within the Lighthouse Cove subdivision of Lennar's Heritage Harbour development, sits a quaint street of two-story homes called Montauk Point Crossing. Today, it is a virtual ghost town.

• At least six families have already moved out of their homes, either at Lennar's expense or their own. At least two more are planning their exits as soon as possible. The residents, many with small children, are experiencing an outbreak of the same chronic symptoms -- respiratory problems, painful sore throats, headaches and nosebleeds -- which they attribute directly to the drywall chemicals filling their homes.

• Residents of Montauk Point have seen their air-conditioners fail on a regular basis -- so often that the presence of a white HVAC repair truck became a running joke in the neighborhood. Metal within their homes corroded and turned black: piping, electrical wiring, even silver jewelry. Electronics also began to fail and short-circuit. Residents say they have gone through multiple televisions, computers and cable boxes. Light switches stopped working altogether, or only intermittently. "I'm on my third TV," said homeowner Dan Tibbetts. "Everything just dies."

Reportedly, one family had their two dogs euthanized after they began acting erratically; one became oddly aggressive and the other would not drink water.

For more, see Ground zero in drywall dispute.

Louisiana Chinese Drywall Victims Get State Hotline; Urged To Register

In New Orleans, Louisiana, The Times Picayune reports:

• The Louisiana Recovery Authority has activated a hotline for state residents to become part of the official count of households affected by contaminated drywall to help Louisiana press its case for federal assistance. Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Recovery Authority, said the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency that is leading the investigation into the effects of defective drywall from China, has asked each of the 32 states that are affected to submit official counts by Dec. 14.

For more, see Contaminated drywall victims get state hotline.

(1) According to the story, people can register online at www.lra.louisiana.gov/drywallform or by calling 1.866.684.1713 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.