Condo Association Fails to Fix Leak; Jury Awards Woman $500,000

A jury ordered a Pasadena homeowners association to pay nearly $500,000 to a woman who alleged in a lawsuit that the association for years neglected to repair water damage to her condominium.

Mary Jameson Moller, a resident of the Atherton condominium complex, said she first complained about leaks in 1991, when water began seeping through the plaster of her bedroom walls. But her attempts to get the association to fix the problem consistently failed and triggered allergy problems, Moller said.

The jury this week agreed with Moller’s complaints. The award included $150,000 in compensation for emotional distress--an amount her attorney said was unusually large for such a dispute.

The homeowners association’s attorney said he did not have authority to comment. The lawsuit contended that the delays allowed mold and mildew to thrive in the damp environment. Moller began sleeping in the guest bedroom and was put on allergy medication.