San Fernando Valley : Tenants Win Claims Over Rain Damage

More than four years after torrential rains inundated their homes, 24 former residents of an Encino apartment complex were awarded nearly half a million dollars this week by a jury that found their landlord did not properly fix the mess.

After a three-week trial in Van Nuys, the former tenants on Thursday were awarded a total of $492,220 for property damage and emotional distress that stemmed from heavy rains in February, 1991. Individual awards ranged from $7,500 to $45,000, said V. James De Simone, a Venice attorney who represented many of the tenants.

Other residents either settled their claims against the building owner earlier or withdrew from the case.

The roof of the complex in the 5300 block of Yarmouth Avenue was torn out to be replaced just days before one of the heaviest rainstorms in Los Angeles history. When more than three inches of rain fell in two days, residents of the 27-unit complex were left without protection.

Owner Richard A. Gleitman said at the time that the roof was in such bad shape that repairs could not wait until the end of the rainy season, when most roofing work is done. Workers had removed the roof’s protective pitch surface, leaving only a thin layer of plywood and plaster. When rain was forecast, the roofing crews tried to cover the building with plastic. But gusty winds creating openings for the rain to pour in.

Many tenants suffered severe water damage to their possessions, and some were left temporarily homeless after the complex was declared uninhabitable by Los Angeles building officials. The tenants alleged Gleitman lied about relocation assistance and then ignored their problems.