3 awarded $375,000 in lawsuit over mold

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Baltimore Sun

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/bal-

md.mold28sep28,0,1328249.story?coll=bal-realestate-headlines-1

A Circuit Court jury awarded $375,000 yesterday to three city

residents who had sued the Housing Authority of Baltimore City,

alleging that mold in their apartment building on Homewood Avenue

created an unsafe living environment, according to court documents

and their attorney.

The lawsuit, filed in February 2005, said that the apartments in a

converted schoolhouse in the East Baltimore-Midway neighborhood had

water leaks, standing water and mold since the late 1990s. The suit

sought $3.2 million for residents Louise Bills, Roy and nie

Pratt.

The building in the 2200 block of Homewood Ave. was run by the

housing authority for senior citizens and physically disabled

tenants. E. Nevin, an attorney who represents the plaintiffs,

said problems with water leaks and mold were documented as early as

1998.

Nevin said that inspections by a private contracting company in

2003, 2004 and 2005 found " standing water and mold growth " that he

said went untreated. Nevin said that in 2003, inspectors found the

roof leaking in 14 places and 25 air-conditioning units not working.

Dave Tillman, spokesman for Baltimore's Department of Housing and

Community Development, said he could not comment on specifics of the

case, but " we will be filing an appeal. "