Women sue employer, landlord over mold

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December 9, 2005

Women sue employer, landlord over mold

Suit alleges employees not warned of risks

By IAN C. STOREY

Record-Eagle staff writer

Traverse City,MI

http://www.record-eagle.com/2005/dec/09mold.htm

TRAVERSE CITY - Four women are suing their employer and its

landlord, saying they failed to address a workplace mold problem

that made them sick.

The suit alleged Real Estate One at 521 Randolph and 98 Real

Estate Leasing of Cadillac, owner of the building, failed to warn

workers of health risks and were negligent in dealing with the mold.

The four women - DePoister, Shirley ,

Lannen and MacDermaid - either worked directly or on a

contract basis for Real Estate One, attorney Blake Ringsmuth said.

The building had been leaking " for years, " allowing in water

and the growth of " certain harmful molds, " the lawsuit said.

The suit also named , an agent of 98 Real

Estate, and Flood Fighters Inc. of Traverse City, which allegedly

was hired to help remove the mold.

" (The suit) is news to me, " said before he hung up the

phone when asked for further comment.

Ringsmuth said the women suffered a number of physical

ailments, including severe respiratory and allergic reactions, and

vision problems as serious as cataracts.

The suit alleged and Real Estate One knew about the

mold as early as January 2004 but didn't begin removal work until

eight months later.

When the work started, Ringsmuth said his clients still were

told " there was nothing wrong and the problem was with them. "

The suit contended Real Estate One and failed to keep

the building in a " reasonable safe condition " and didn't warn

workers of health hazards.

Ellen Tickner, listed as resident agent for Real Estate One in

the suit, could not be reached for comment.

The suit alleged Flood Fighters placed " air scrubbers " near

work areas but failed to vent the machines outdoors.

Flood Fighters' Steve Campeau said his company rented the

scrubbers to but had little to do with the removal process.

" We weren't in control of the job, " he said. " We did things

how () wanted to do it. "

Ringsmuth said Real Estate One repeatedly " misled " the women

about the safety of their workplace.

" They just kind of downplayed the whole thing, " he said.