Tenants Sue Owner for Smelly Aftermath

A group of tenants in Manhattan Beach recently went to court to make their building’s owner get rid of a foul smell that Superstorm Sandy left behind. According to tenants, a smell has permeated the 49-unit property ever since sea water flooded the basement and sprang leaks in stored fuel tanks.

Residents are complaining that the fumes are making them sick. One tenant’s doctor is attributing the 79-year-old tenant’s coughing, shortness of breath, and hypertension to noxious air in the rent-stabilized building. The owner’s lawyer said that the owner has spent more than $100,000 on storm repairs.

The judge in the case told the tenants that they must bring him expert proof that the fumes actually are a health hazard. He suggested that they subpoena the results of Environmental Protection Agency tests that were done at the six-story building. The judge also suggested that residents hire an expert to do air-quality testing to back up allegations in complaints they filed against the owner.