The Palm Beach Post reports
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will soon issue guidelines on how homeowners with defective drywall can apply for federal money, according to a letter sent to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida.
Department secretary Shaun Donovan had previously suggested during a trip to Florida that homeowners may be able to find funding under the Community Development Block Grant program.
Albeit a small step forward in the pursuit of relief for residents of Louisiana, news emerging out of last week shows that local government is doing what it can to help victims of Chinese drywall. Reducing the costs of repair efforts, the Mandeville City Council has stepped up to provide a small amount of assistance. What’s more, the manner in which the Council is helping is an innovative step that might be replicated across the state.
Suzanne Le Breton of the St. Tammany News reports
The City Council approved a measure Thursday night that would give individuals who make repairs after finding tainted drywall in their homes a break on their permit fees.
The Associated Press has a short news piece that demonstrates again how the Chinese drywall issue has affected people of all types and economic backgrounds. Reporting on a lawsuit filed against drywall manufacturer Knauf, the article notes that Saints head coach Sean Payton has been named lead plaintiff in a suit with over 2,000 party members. The article notes:
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is one of about 2,100 plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against a Chinese manufacturer of drywall blamed for damaging homes and sickening residents.
Payton is listed as the lead plaintiff in a suit filed [December 9th] in federal court in New Orleans against Knauf Plasterboard Tainjin Co. Numerous lawsuits have been filed over the drywall.
In an effort to have victims of Chinese drywall contact the state and notify them of the toxic wallboard in their home, the Louisiana Recovery Authority has initiated a hotline specifically dedicated to the problem. The hotline, set up to help the state get a better idea of just how many people are being affected by Chinese drywall, is part of a national effort across 32 states to find out how many people have been affected. Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Recovery Authority, said the Consumer Product Safety Commission has urged states to get residents active in an effort to get official counts regarding the problem.
The Times-Picayune reports
“We will use the data we gather on homes to continue to make the case for direct federal aid to homeowners, including the possibility of using existing disaster programs for temporary housing and rebuilding assistance,” Rainwater said.
The Miami Herald reports that the originally announced total of 100,000 homes facing problems because of Chinese drywall may be overstated. While consumer groups contest this, the news that the number may be less is a mix of good and bad. Though it would be nice to think that far less families are facing the plight of this imported wallboard, that the number might be overstated could mean that it is more of an uphill battle to prove the toxic problem.
The Herald’s article notes
Now some are questioning if that figure — and the scope of the drywall problem itself — is exaggerated.
Just a reminder that Louisiana Senator Julie Quinn’s committee meeting in regards to Chinese drywall and insurance companies is scheduled for tomorrow. Senator Quinn is hosting the meeting to discuss the issue of Chinese drywall in Louisiana and the insurance implications. The meeting will be attended by Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon and representatives of various insurance companies and is an opportunity for those with Chinese drywall in their homes to explain their situations to those involved in the decision making process.
Details are as follows
LOUISIANA STATE SENATE INSURANCE COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 2, 2009
The Berniard Law Firm would like to wish everyone in the Gulf Coast and beyond a happy and pleasant Thanksgiving holiday.
The blog will resume posting on Monday, November 30th.
The Wall Street Journal, in its editorial section yesterday, commended Judge Duval for finding the Army Corps of Engineers at fault for the flooding of areas of New Orleans. The editorial, entitled ‘A win for New Orleans,’ celebrates the win as an opportunity for those whose homes flooded to receiving financial settlements to make up for the inability of the Corps to develop and operate adequate water projects.
The lawsuit was brought by seven plaintiffs. Judge Duval ruled against the plaintiffs from New Orleans East but awarded $720,000 to those from St. Bernard and the Lower Ninth.
The judge’s decision could lead to thousands of people joining class actions seeking billions of dollars in damages. Lawyers for the plaintiffs are calling on the federal government to offer a universal settlement with the people of New Orleans. The Obama administration and members of Congress should listen. While there are limits on how much people should expect — the government is strapped for cash, after all — it’s difficult to see what purpose would be served by dragging this case through appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. Unless the government has a persuasive defense for the negligence decried by Judge Duval, it would be better to settle now.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission today strengthened the case against Chinese drywall makers by releasing three preliminary reports that links the imported wallboard to corrosion and irritating levels of chemicals. The reports, issued by the government ahead of a formal decision by the government on the matter, brings scientific proof to what plaintiff attorneys and homeowners have alleged for months: Chinese drywall is causing health problems and home damage where it has been installed since 2004.
CNN reports
The suspected link between Chinese drywall and toxic effects reported by thousands of U.S. homeowners was strengthened Monday by three preliminary reports issued by the federal government.
Governor Bobby Jindal has responded to U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr.’s ruling that the flooding of areas within New Orleans was the direct fault of the Army Corps of Engineers inability to develop and execute proper water resource projects within Louisiana. The press release, posted below, condemns the Corps for their failure and is a strongly worded encouragement of the Corps to rectify and improve its efforts in the near future.
The Office of the Governor states
Baton Rouge: Governor Bobby Jindal issued the following statement regarding the ruling by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. that the Army Corps of Engineers’ was directly responsible for flood damage to portions of the New Orleans region following Hurricane Katrina because of their failure to properly operate and maintain water resources projects in Louisiana:
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