Bed Bug Infestation In Co-op Building

[Irina76]

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

I am a co-op owner and I reside in one of the co - ops in Brooklyn area.

I would like to sue my co-op and wanted advice.

On May , 4, 2007, I discovered that I have a bed bug infestation in my apartment. I have notified the co-op management and they notified the board. I have spoken to the exterminator and the neighbors in the building and found out that apartment on the 3rd floor had an infestation with bed bugs. My next door neighbor who lives right above the infested apartment started having the problem and also notified the management and the board months ago. Months later I discovered the problem myself. I was not notified of the problem and the management has never said that there is an infestation in our line of the building.

They sent me the buildings exterminator and he sprayed my apartment. I had to discard many personal belongings as well as a very expensive mattress. In addition I had to launder and dry clean all my clothing and drapes that also cost a fortune. In addition to that, I have been displaced from my apartment for already a month going on another month still paying maintainers of almost 600 and mortgage which is also around 600 every month.

The exterminator from the building came and treated the place. He returned a week later and treated the place again. I wasn't comfortable with returning to the house and when i came to inspect the apartment myself i found a live bug. I called the management again and they sent the same exterminator he treated my place again and returned a week later to check the place. When he was checking my place I found another bug on the ceiling crawling out of my light fixture. The exterminator was very surprised and then apologized that he didn't not treat the light fixtures and electrical outlets with chemicals. He then treated everything in my apartment again. The management told me to move in and the problem has been taken care off. That weekend I found another bed bug which was alive as well. The exterminator returned in another week and found 3 dead bugs. The exterminator and the management is trying to convince us that the problem is not existent. They are being very manipulative.

I have been bitten many times by bed bugs and I didn't know what was wrong with me. I went to the doctor and did a # of tests and found out that i am highly allergic to bedbugs and they can cause me respiratory problems. Since we found out about our problem I have been having medical problems, such as a feeling of fainting and after many tests my doctor diagnosed me with anxiety, which never happened to me before this problem. I can not sleep at night and I am very paranoid. I am still displaced from my home because i do not believe the problem was solved.

I would like to know what are my choices and if anyone can help me and let me know if I have a case since the co-op management and the board failed to notify the adjacent apartments of the problem and waited until it was too late and the adjacent apartment were infested.

I need advice if I have a case.

[seniorjudge]

What did the co-op do to cause the bedbug problem?

[Irina76]

The co-op knew that there is a horrible infestation in one of the apartments did not do anything regarding notifying the neighbors or treating the apartments next to the infested apartment or inspecting any of the apartments next to infested apartment. The only thing they did is to get the buildings exterminator to treat the infested apartment.

After the initial infested apartment was treated the bed bugs went to the apartment right above the infested apartment. Again the co-op didnt do anything accept get the same exterminator to spray the above apartment.

At this point after several of my complains they still did not notify the tenans because they are saying that this will make the whole building paranoid and make people confused and make them believe that they are seeing something they dont have.

The management denied my reimbursement request as well. Stating that the co-op is not responsible for personal belongings.

[FlyingRon]

Please Do Not Post The Same Message In Multiple Forums.

[g_ozdogan]

Good days Irina,
I saw your problem.

Let's look at to the case between you and your co-op.
They are signed to give you the finished house service for your co-op agreement.
Bed Bug infestation in your apartment is not your problem.
Co-ops has responsibility about this problems. Because this problem is not in your responsibility, they haven't finished their works yet. And they haven't have serious precautions done for this problem.

You can make co-op pay for the material damage and moral damage (about having paranoia and oth.) of you.

[Bretagne]

Originally Posted by g_ozdogan

Good days Irina,
I saw your problem.

Let's look at to the case between you and your co-op.
They are signed to give you the finished house service for your co-op agreement.
Bed Bug infestation in your apartment is not your problem.
Co-ops has responsibility about this problems. Because this problem is not in your responsibility, they haven't finished their works yet. And they haven't have serious precautions done for this problem.

You can make co-op pay for the material damage and moral damage (about having paranoia and oth.) of you.

Um, no.

What would your legal cause of action be if your brought this suit?

[You Are Guilty]

Originally Posted by Bretagne

Um, no.

What would your legal cause of action be if your brought this suit?

Terminal stupidity?