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…
In a 4300-word column in the Broward (FL) New Times (1/5), Tim Elfrink discussed the Chinese drywall problem in Florida. A New Times investigation, “with reporting from a freelance writer in Beijing, has found that some of the Chinese manufacturers who made the tainted drywall are still producing it by the truckload – likely without…
According to the Sarasota Herald Tribune (9/4, Kessler) reports, “The number of Chinese drywall manufacturers responsible for corrosion and potential health problems plaguing U.S. homeowners may be about to increase substantially.” On Thursday, lawyers involved in the case “revealed that 36 separate variations of tainted drywall have been found — a much higher number than…
FT. MYERS – The South Florida Business Journal (9/2, Brinkmann) reported, “Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp has joined hundreds of other Floridians in filing suit over defective Chinese drywall in his home.” He and his wife, “Cynthia Kottkamp, filed federal suit Monday in Fort Myers against manufacturer Knauf Gips KG and Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. The…
STATEWIDE – The Jacksonville Business Journal (8/19) reported, “U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said in a media release Tuesday he pressed Chinese officials in recent trips there to cooperate more fully in investigations of defective high-sulfur drywall that was made in China and is ruining homes in the United States.” While in Shanghai last week, “Nelson,…
“About 600 tainted Chinese drywall lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation under U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon for pretrial issues.” Attorneys say that Fallon “is intent on fast-tracking a handful of cases for trial,” asking both sides “to select 10 cases to jump start the process of turning over documents and other information,”…
The Wall Street Journal (7/1, Hagerty, McQueen) reports, “The odors, respiratory complaints and corrosion blamed on drywall from China used in American homes may have been caused by the failure to remove sulfur and other contaminants from synthetic gypsum, some Chinese experts in building materials say.” Yue Wenhai, vice president of the committee of gypsum…