Estate of Julie Arnoff v. Art Colony Property LLC, et al.
VERDICT
Trial 03/05/25 – 03/19/25
Summary
In the first phase of this bifurcated trial to determine liability, residents of an art colony sue their property owners for toxic chemicals around their houses. These chemicals, known as volatile organic compounds, are carcinogenic substances that leach into the environment from industrial degreasers. When the property owners became aware of toxic soil readings, signs were posted around the compound that provided tenants with warnings of associated health risks.
Plaintiffs claim that these signs did not truly express the dangers of the compounds. While the signs expressed warnings of potential health risks, representatives for the plaintiffs state that there was no direct mention of cancer in the posted warnings. This lack of information was misleading, as owners were trying to downplay the true risk of the toxins to their residents.
Representatives for defendants insist that these warnings were written based on information from an environmental consulting firm. The posted signs were in visible locations, with additional warnings updated when owners knew more. Additionally, property owners created a hotline for residents to file questions, but none did.