Ed McMahon sues over toxic mold in L.A. home

Tampa Bay Online ^ | 4/10/2002 | Sarah Tippit

[aculeus]

LOS ANGELES, April 10 (Reuters) - As Johnny Carson's sidekick, entertainer Ed McMahon was famed for his infectious laugh. But as a homeowner, he says he is involved in a drama that has left him seething.

McMahon, 79, is suing his home insurance company for $20 million, claiming it botched a simple repair on a broken pipe and, as a result, allowed a toxic mold to spread through his house, making his family sick and killing his dog.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, McMahon, who for years served as Carson's sidekick on NBC's "Tonight Show," said he, his wife Pamela, and household staff members have been battling illnesses as a result of exposure to a mold known as stachybotrus chartarum. He also said the family dog, Muffin, died as a result of a mold-induced infection.

The suit is the latest in a recent spate of litigation over toxic mold infestation, a recently recognized phenomenon, which is believed to cause serious illness particularly in the respiratory tract, and even death.

It names Scottsdale, Arizona-based American Equity Insurance Co., a unit of Citigroup Inc. (C) as a plaintiff as well as several Southern California contractors who had been hired to clean up the mold. A spokeswoman for American Equity declined to comment on Wednesday.

According to the suit, a pipe burst last July in McMahon's estate in the posh Coldwater Canyon section of Los Angeles, causing his den to be flooded. McMahon made a claim under his policy with American Equity, which arranged to clean up the damage caused by the flooding.

"What started out as a simple plumbing leak ended up a horrific nightmare only Steven King could write about," McMahon's lawyer Allan Browne told Reuters. He added the mold spread through the house with a high concentration in the main bedroom.

The lawsuit charges that the contractors painted over visible mold and failed to provide the McMahons with environmental reports related to the levels of mold infestation despite repeated requests for documentation.

In addition, another contractor hired by the insurer to store the McMahons' furniture, artwork and television memorabilia has not to date returned the items despite repeated requests to do so, and the McMahons do not know where their belongings are being stored, Browne said.

"They took away 50 years of memorabilia, all of their fine art, all of the couches, chairs, every stick of furniture, we don't even know where any of that is located. The clothes were taken out and they were supposedly cleaned and it took months to get them back and once they got them back we found out cleaning had been done improperly. ... It's just been a nightmare," Browne added.

[Conservative independent]

Sort of off-topic

Question: What does the National Education Association turn our kids' brains into?

[caddie]

Dude probably left an open can of beer behind a radiator sometime in the 1960s, during a bender.

It probably grew into a semi-advanced microscopic civilization and, voila!

Terrible shame.

[aculeus]

What should be the question to the answer, "Toxic mold"?,

What is one screen name not yet used at Free Republic?

[sneakypete]

, then again they build houses so tight nowadays that they can't "breathe".

This is a big problem the enviro-whackos want to keep covered-up. Houses are so tight now thanks to energy conservation and insulation that things like this mold grow. Add to that all the nylon carpet fumes and other fumes in modern appliances and furniture,and you have the REAL reason for so many children having allergies and breathing problems today. It has nothing to do with second-hand smoke.

[TYVets]

Toxic Mold in a house, was the subject of a local tv station. It does exist and does cause serious health problems.

The house in question was located in northwestern Arkansas. (please no X42 jokes).

Another house near Mountain Home, Ar had Toxic Mold, stripped of all funishings, clothes, keepsakes etc.

Roof removed, walls removed, floors removed, the lists goes on and on...

Ed made lots of jokes in his time,, but not joking now,,,,Toxic Mold has happened to working class people as well, it is not a laughing matter.

[chaosagent]

Actually he's apparently been making money hand over fist with his Star Search programs. He owns the whole shebang.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Sounds like Ed's plumber missed the Slauson Cutoff and cut off his slauson.

[Charles Henrickson]

"What is the prime ingredient in Ed's favorite beer?"

You had the same idea I had. Before I decided to let the Freepers supply the question, I was going to write: "What is the key brewing ingredient in Budweiser?"

[Charles Henrickson]

"Toxic Mold."

"What is the name of the winning band on Star Search?"

[Revolting cat!]

"What is the name of the winning band on Star Search?"

You beat me to it! I came up with this during my long run: (should of made it shorter!) What's going to be the name of the heavy metal supergroup that Eddie Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne and Meatloaf are assembling?

[chuckles]

I grew up around the Texas Gulf Coast most of my life. Everything, and I mean everything had mold and mildew at one time or the other. Our house was 4ft. under water in Huricane Carla in '61 and had mold and mildew till we moved out in the early '90's. Most houses had it, we took it for granted. Now all I hear about is this "Toxic Mold" thingy. My homeowners insurance just went up 60% in one year and they doubled my deductible to keep it from a 100% rise. I was told if I cancelled and went with someone else, there will be no someone else. They won't write new replacement policies in Tejas.

A little Consan Triple Action 20 in a bucket and a layer of Kilz will do the trick for about $20. This is just a money scam if you ask me.

[Mfkmmof4]

It was none of those. Her a/c was leaking and she had no idea.