Example of why important to inform landlords IN WRITING of mold

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COURTROOM NEWS

(http://www.harrismartin.com/GenerateArticlePDF.cfm?articleid=11644)

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Date: 5 January 2010 Landlord Prevails on Appeal After Claiming Lack

of Notice Related Document: _Order - MOL-1001-01_

(http://www.harrismartin.com/pdfs/MOL-1001-01.pdf) (PDF format)

NEW YORK — A New York appellate court has affirmed summary judgment for a

New York landlord that argued it did not have actual or constructive notice

of mold contamination in a tenant’s apartment and, thus, no liability.

Travers v. H. Greenthal Mgt. Co., No. 2009 NY Slip Op 07401 [66 AD3d

768][index No. 017307/2005] (N.Y. Sup. Ct., App. Div., 2nd Dept.).

The Appellate Division, Second Department affirmed summary judgment for

H. Greenthal Management Corp. in a corrected order on Dec. 9.

Plaintiff-tenant Travers sued Greenthal Management in Kings County

Supreme Court in 2005, alleging injury from toxic mold in his apartment. That

court dismissed the complaint for lack of notice on March 8, 2008, and

Travers appealed.

In affirming, the Appellate Division, Second Department, said that

Greenthal Management “established their prima facie entitlement to judgment

as a

matter of law by demonstrating that they neither created nor had actual or

constructive notice of an alleged toxic mold condition in the plaintiff’s

apartment.â€

The court cited Litwack v. Plaza Realty Invs. Inc. (11 NY3d 820, 821-822

[2008]; See ’s Columns: Mold, Nov. 2008) and Beck v. J.J.A.

Holding Corp. (12 A.D.3d 238, 239-240 [2004]; See ’s Columns:

Mold,

Dec. 2004).

Travers, in opposition, offered no triable issues of fact that would

preclude summary judgment, the court added.

Presiding Justice Reinaldo E. and Justices Anita R. Florio, Randall

T. Eng and M. Leventhal concurred in the opinion.

A. Zilberg of Certain & Zilberg in New York represented Travers.

J. Lawless of , Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker in New

York represented H. Greenthal Management Corp.

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Opinion Ref# MOL-1001-01