Lawsuits are mounting against a big New Hampshire-based developer over mold in some of its properties in Rhode Island.
Attorneys say around 100 additional tenants are prepared to sue Brady Sullivan for allegedly getting them sick.
Those allegations now span three of Brady Sullivan's restored mill apartment complexes in Rhode Island – Harris Mill and Anthony Mill in the town of Coventry, and the Lofts at Pocasset Mill in Johnston.
Four current and former tenants – including couples with young children – have sued so far. They say Brady Sullivan knowingly let mold and lead paint give them serious illnesses.
And their lawyers say it's only the beginning. Attorney Daniel Calabro says they have at least 100 clients with similar claims and plan to file new suits next week.
They're also helping other tenants sue Brady Sullivan to break their leases early and move out. Three of those suits have been filed so far.
The Manchester-based company has settled and been cited for environmental violations before, at properties in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
But spokeswoman Patti Doyle calls the Rhode Island allegations “outrageous and completely unsubstantiated, with not a single shred of evidence provided.”
“To be very clear – we know of no unsafe mold conditions at any Brady Sullivan properties,” she says in a statement, citing the company’s own independent environmental analysis of one apartment in Harris Mill.
“The health and well-being of the tenants who live and work in our properties is always our primary concern,” Doyle says. “Any accusations to the contrary are false – period.”
Brady Sullivan is also seeking a restraining order to stop former employees from sharing information about Harris Mill with the same attorneys working on the mold cases. In court filings, the company claims two Harris Mill workers who quit their jobs earlier this month broke their contracts by sharing confidential details about the property.
Related documents:
Read the first lawsuit against Brady Sullivan regarding mold in Harris Mill, and the company’s response.
Read the second, third and fourth complaints from current and former Harris Mill tenants.
Read one of the lawsuits from a tenant seeking to break their lease at Pocasset Mill.