Four to five months after moving into their new home in Parkland, Florida, in December 2006, John Willis, his wife Lori, and their two young sons began to experience symptoms that developed into what Willis describes as “nightmarish health problems.”
His wife developed a severe sinus infection, which she first thought was a toothache. “She’s had three occurrences in two years [in the house] despite none in her first 40 years of life,” he said.
“Our younger son [now 3 1/2] has had some respiratory issues—runny eyes and nose, itchy, burning eyes—symptoms we’ve all had at different times in the house.”
Hardest hit was their older boy, who was 3 at the time. He developed a severe cough a few months after they moved into their home. He was diagnosed with a sinus infection and put on oral antibiotics.
When he didn’t improve, he was hospitalized for a week and given intravenous antibiotics. After being home for 10 days, still on IV antibiotics, his sinus infection worsened.
His doctor asked if there was anything in the home that could be aggravating the child’s condition. Willis didn’t suspect the house, which was less than a year old.
His son underwent surgery to treat the sinus infection. “The doctor said they removed something that looked like rubber cement. He said he’d never seen something that looked that bad in a kid so young,” Willis said.
It was only a few weeks ago that Willis learned that his house is among thousands that are plagued by Chinese-made drywall. The tainted drywall is said to emit corrosive gasses that attack copper tubing, wiring, and other materials, damaging air conditioners, TVs, computers, mirrors, and silver products, in addition to causing health problems.
No Real Help
Willis says the family isn’t getting any real help. The builder is in bankruptcy. Their insurance company has declined to handle a claim.
“Lenders aren’t really set up for anything like this, so they can’t offer forbearance. Lawyers said that potentially, in a few years, people might be able to get something from the importers, subcontractors, and the German-Chinese company. But they doubt that anyone would be made whole.”
Willis recently accompanied Parkland Mayor Michael Udine on a trip to Tallahassee, the state capital, to bring the issue to the attention of Gov. Charlie Crist, state legislators, and the attorney general.
Willis has also met with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), who has visited some of the affected homes in Parkland, about 24 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale.
Homeowners in Willis’s community have asked their lenders to suspend mortgage payments but without success.
According to Willis, the Florida Dept. of Health said it needs the involvement of the federal government. But Willis says, “There are no federal standards for residential exposure to these gasses. No one is offering any help.”
Remove the Drywall?
Will some of the affected homeowners rebuild? Willis, an attorney and member of the City of Parkland’s Chinese Drywall Task Force, said, “Close to 50 percent of 91 homes in the subdivision have this problem, and there are homes in other subdivisions in the community that also have it.
“No one even knows how to rebuild these houses. There are no federal standards yet.” The CDC and EPA are just getting involved in doing testing, he said.
“You’re talking about rebuilding close to 40 percent. The costs are just huge. And the cost may go up significantly if the EPA says the waste has to be disposed of as a toxic waste and not put in landfills.
“Homes may have to be stripped down to the slabs.” One of the builders is willing to rebuild by knocking down to the slabs, according to what Willis has heard. But if homeowners agree to the builder’s offer to rebuild, they would have to sign a release.
“Without the federal government coming up with standards for removal, they might come six months later and say the slab needs to be replaced because it’s porous.
“Are these homes going to have any significant resale value after they are fixed?
“People are afraid that their neighbors won’t rebuild. Then their homes will essentially be worthless,” he added.
Moving Out
“We have people in our community who are already moving out. One pregnant woman was told by her gynecologist that she should move out immediately, and she did.
“One family is suing everyone—the real estate agent, building inspector, appraiser, seller, and maybe the title agent too.
“Our sons’ pediatrician said, ‘I’m not an environmental doctor, but I can tell you one thing—it [living in the house] can’t be good for you or your family.”
Willis lives in the Heron Bay community, which extends into the cities of Parkland and Coral Springs. There are 32 subdivisions within Heron Bay. At least four subdivisions of Heron Bay have complications from Chinese-made drywall. The Banyan Isles subdivision is probably the worst hit, with close to 50 percent of the homes affected, according to Willis.
The City of Parkland Web site includes the topic “Chinese Drywall Task Force Updates.” Several government agencies have requested information from the city, which has posted a questionnaire for homeowners. Among the questions is, “Are you considering or planning to relocate?”
“For me, I just want my family safe. The rest will take years to sort out,” Willis said. He’s moving as soon as he can.