Chinese Drywall Victims Awarded $2.6 Million, Judge Says Homes Must be Gutted

Date: April 8th, 2010
The owners of seven Virginia homes contaminated with toxic Chinese drywall have been awarded $2.6 million by the federal judge overseeing the Chinese drywall multidistrict litigation (MDL) currently underway in New Orleans. The trial was considered a "bellwether" or test case, and the decision could affect how lawsuits by thousands of other homeowners are settled.

To review full Chinese Manufactured Drywall Products Liability Litigation - Findings of Fact and Conclusions Of Law --Click Here.

Chinese Drywall Victims Must Act Now to Join Knauf Plasterboard Lawsuit

Chinese drywall victims whose homes were built with wallboard manufactured by Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. have until December 9 to join an omnibus class action lawsuit against Knauf. If you are interested in joining this lawsuit, you must contact an attorney and arrange to have your home inspected today. More...

Get help and info on all Chinese Drywall Issues & Problems!

Welcome to the ChineseDrywall.org website. This is the place for getting answers to all your Chinese Drywall problems, receiving updates about what is going on at the local and federal levels, what to do if you have Chinese Drywall, and a place to tell about your experiences, as well as getting expert legal advice! If your are one of the thousands who have Chinese Drywall installed in your home, this site is were you can turn to get help.

» Click here to find out if you have Defective Chinese Drywall.

A Caution Regarding Chinese Drywall Remediation

October 9th, 2009

Many homeowners have been approached by builders with offers of Chinese drywall remediation. However, it is important that anyone whose home was built with Chinese drywall realize that premature remediation could cause them further damage.

While it is understandable that Chinese drywall victims want the problem resolved quickly, it is important to note that remediation protocols have not been established, and cross-contamination could occur. Even after Chinese drywall has been torn out and replaced, out-gassing of sulfur compounds and other elements continues to occur. Remediation will only further jeopardize public health when it is done without adequate safeguards or by unqualified individuals.
» Read more: A Caution Regarding Chinese Drywall Remediation

Chinese Drywall Victims Need FEMA Help, Senators Say

October 9th, 2009

The Chinese drywall crisis has prompted a group of U.S. Senators to call on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help homeowners. The group wants FEMA to provide rental assistance to people who have had to leave their homes because of tainted Chinese drywall.

Chinese Drywall Mess Has No Easy Fix

October 8th, 2009

Thousands of homeowners across the country are blaming fumes from defective Chinese drywall for making them sick. According to a report in The New York Times, the Chinese drywall debacle has pushed many people out of their homes and to the brink of bankruptcy, but solutions to the problem have not been easy to find.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), it has received about 1,501 reports from residents in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of metal components in their homes are related to the presence of Chinese drywall. Chinese drywall poured into the U.S. between 1999 and 2007 because of the high demand created by the housing boom. Imports accelerated when the rebuilding that followed Hurricane Charley in Florida in 2004, and Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast in 2005, created a drywall shortage. According to The Wall Street Journal, some 500 million pounds of Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. during the housing boom. That means as many as 100,000 homes throughout the country could have been built with the material.
» Read more: Chinese Drywall Mess Has No Easy Fix

Florida, the state hit hardest by Chinese drywall debacle

October 7th, 2009

The Florida legislature is finally addressing the Chinese drywall problem. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the Florida Senate’s Community Affairs Committee held their first hearing on the issue in Tallahassee yesterday.

Florida has been the state hardest hit by the Chinese drywall debacle. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), just over 1100 Florida homeowners have reported problems with Chinese-made wallboard. It is estimated that thousands of Florida homes were built with the defective materials. Gases emitted from Chinese drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. People living with Chinese drywall have also suffered eye, respiratory and sinus problems that may be linked to the gases.
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Hard to Hold Chinese Drywall Makers Accountable, Thanks to Legal Barriers

October 6th, 2009

The Chinese drywall debacle has highlighted some serious problems in the U.S. legal system. According to a report in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, those flaws make it likely that many Chinese drywall manufacturers will ignore the product liability litigation now underway in New Orleans.

According to the Time-Picayune article, international trade agreements treat health and safety regulations as barriers to commerce. This makes it possible for foreign firms to import products to the U.S. that don’t meet safety standards. That can be a problem when products like drywall are coming from China, a country that has imposed few health and safety regulations on its manufacturers.
» Read more: Hard to Hold Chinese Drywall Makers Accountable, Thanks to Legal Barriers

Chinese Drywall Timeline Questioned

October 5th, 2009

A Florida home built in 2002 has raised concerns that at least one home builder was using Chinese drywall earlier than first thought.

General consensus says that builders began using Chinese drywall in the construction of new homes sometime around 2004. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) Chinese drywall website, consumers making complaints about Chinese drywall largely report that their homes were built in 2006 to 2007. Experts have said that the housing boom, coupled with the massive rebuilding efforts that followed devastating hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, were the catalyst for a drywall shortage that prompted home builders to turn to Chinese-made wallboard.
» Read more: Chinese Drywall Timeline Questioned

Chinese Drywall Complaints Top 1,500

October 1st, 2009

The Chinese drywall epidemic has hit a milestone. Complaints to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) about the defective wallboard have now surpassed 1,500.

According to the CPSC, it has received about 1,501 reports from residents in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of metal components in their homes are related to the presence of Chinese drywall. The majority of reports -1,103 – have come from Florida. Other states affected include Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
» Read more: Chinese Drywall Complaints Top 1,500

Chinese Drywall Manufacturers May Try to Evade Lawsuits

September 29th, 2009

Lawyers for Chinese drywall victims are warning clients that some Chinese manufacturers may simply choose to ignore lawsuits filed in the U.S. According to an Associate Press report, attorneys for the thousands of homeowners who have filed lawsuits over Chinese drywall are already considering contingency plans should this occur.

Chinese drywall poured into the U.S. between 1999 and 2007 because of the high demand created by the housing boom. Imports accelerated when the rebuilding that followed Hurricane Charley in Florida in 2004, and Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast in 2005, created a drywall shortage. According to The Wall Street Journal, some 500 million pounds of Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. during the housing boom. That means as many as 100,000 homes throughout the country could have been built with the material.
» Read more: Chinese Drywall Manufacturers May Try to Evade Lawsuits

Chinese Drywall Affecting 140 Homes, Builder Says

September 28th, 2009

KB Home says that about 140 homes it built have issues with Chinese drywall. The disclosure was made during a conference call conducted by KB Home last Friday to discuss earnings.

Chinese Drywall Manufacturer Hit with Default Judgment

September 25th, 2009

A default judgment has been issued against Chinese drywall manufacturer Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd. The judgment was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon after Taishan Gypsum failed to respond to a class-action lawsuit filed against it.

As we’ve reported previously, attorneys representing an Alabama builder asked Judge Fallon to issue a default judgment after Taishan failed to respond to the builder’s lawsuit. Judge Fallon agreed to issue a preliminary default judgment against the manufacturer if it did not file an appearance before Sept. 24. If the judgment stands, Taishan will not be able to present a defense to the numerous Chinese drywall suits filed against it.
» Read more: Chinese Drywall Manufacturer Hit with Default Judgment

Chinese Drywall Discussed at Capitol Hill Meeting

September 24th, 2009

Lawmakers yesterday pressed for a speedier Chinese drywall investigation during a closed-door meeting with officials from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, lawmakers from Florida and other affected states are frustrated that the agency has postponed the release of Chinese drywall testing results.

Over the summer, the CPSC had promised that the results from indoor air testing of 50 homes with Chinese drywall would be available in September, but that deadline was pushed back to October. Then, just this week, the CPSC moved the release date to November. According to the Herald-Tribune, there is no release date specified for studies on electrical and fire safety concerns.
» Read more: Chinese Drywall Discussed at Capitol Hill Meeting