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December 9, 2005Women sue employer, landlord over moldSuit alleges employees not warned of risksTRAVERSE CITY - Four women are suing their employer and its landlord, saying they failed to address a workplace mold problem that made them sick.The suit alleged Real Estate One at 521 Randolph and 98 Real Estate Leasing of Cadillac, owner of the building, failed to warn workers of health risks and were negligent in dealing with the mold. The four women - Linda DePoister, Shirley Allison, Elizabeth Lannen and Angela MacDermaid - either worked directly or on a contract basis for Real Estate One, attorney Blake Ringsmuth said. The building had been leaking "for years," allowing in water and the growth of "certain harmful molds," the lawsuit said. The suit also named Patrick Johnson, an agent of 98 Real Estate, and Flood Fighters Inc. of Traverse City, which allegedly was hired to help remove the mold. "(The suit) is news to me," said Johnson before he hung up the phone when asked for further comment. Ringsmuth said the women suffered a number of physical ailments, including severe respiratory and allergic reactions, and vision problems as serious as cataracts. The suit alleged Johnson and Real Estate One knew about the mold as early as January 2004 but didn't begin removal work until eight months later. When the work started, Ringsmuth said his clients still were told "there was nothing wrong and the problem was with them." The suit contended Real Estate One and Johnson failed to keep the building in a "reasonable safe condition" and didn't warn workers of health hazards. Ellen Tickner, listed as resident agent for Real Estate One in the suit, could not be reached for comment. The suit alleged Flood Fighters placed "air scrubbers" near work areas but failed to vent the machines outdoors. Flood Fighters' Steve Campeau said his company rented the scrubbers to Johnson but had little to do with the removal process. "We weren't in control of the job," he said. "We did things how (Johnson) wanted to do it." Ringsmuth said Real Estate One repeatedly "misled" the women about the safety of their workplace. "They just kind of downplayed the whole thing," he said.
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