Florida court absolves some builders of Chinese drywall liability

According to The Wall Street Journal (11/12, Wotapka, Whelan) reports that a circuit court judge in Palm Beach County, Florida, has relieved some homebuilders of liability for installing tainted Chinese drywall, which is blamed for torpedoing home values and damaging residents’ health.

The ruling is expected to serve as a precedent in other jurisdictions, and was based on the fact that the homebuilders did not manufacture the defective product. Florida’s Centerline Homes was the defendant in the relevant case.