Attorney says Brad Pitt's Make It Right Organization's Lawsuit Against Its Chief Architect Confirms MIR Was Aware of Defects in Now-Dilapidated Houses Built in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ron Austin, the attorney who filed a class-action suit Sept. 7 on behalf of 100-plus homeowners in the Lower 9th Ward who bought houses built by Brad Pitt's nonprofit Make It Right (MIR), says a $20 million lawsuit MIR filed Tuesday against its chief architect acknowledges that MIR, its board members, including Pitt, and chief officers knew about the structural and construction problems associated with the MIR homes for years, yet said nothing to the residents. Structural problems with the homes date back to 2009, just a year after completion, "and MIR's lawsuit seemingly validates our claim," Austin said.
Make It Right is suing John C. Williams, the New Orleans architect of record for the project that MIR says it paid $4 million to oversee construction. Their suit lists 17 different types of problems with the homes, including inadequate weather protection and inadequate provision of joint and flashing above doors and windows to prevent water seepage. The MIR suit acknowledges that "the ultimate cost of rectifying the moisture and water intrusion problems at this time is unknown" and that $20 million is an estimate based on "observable damage."
Nonetheless, MIR's lawsuit falls short of what's needed to repair the extensive damage due to moisture and substandard materials, Austin said, and MIR would know that if they had had the homes properly inspected.
Austin's firm, Ron Austin Law, is paying for the much-needed comprehensive inspections, which require vast engineering expertise and that walls be opened up to properly assess the damage, at a cost of up to $10,000 per home, he says. "Inadequate inspections lead to inadequate repairs," Austin said. "We've already seen instances where this has happened. The homeowners will never see an end to this nightmare under MIR's current strategy. Residents are still waiting for Make It Right to make it right."
Sickened by exposed mold, some residents have abandoned their properties but are still paying mortgages averaging $150,000 with little to no resale value.
"The residents of the 9th Ward appreciate what Brad Pitt has tried to do," Austin said. "But there were many other people involved in this effort, too, who were lauded for their expertise, which leads me to wonder how so many could ignore these issues for so long."
MIR's suit doesn't mention Pitt, board members or any of the nonprofit's officers, but all are named in the suit filed by Austin. #BradMakeItRight
Media contact: Shawn Taylor | [email protected] | 312-371-6260.
SOURCE Ron Austin Law
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