Pompano woman wins $5.5 million in lawsuit over mold in her co-op apartment

A Pompano Beach woman won a $5.5 million judgment against her co-op association this week after proving in court that she suffered irreparable harm from mold in her unit.

Cheryl Jakab, 60, sued the Ever April Apartments in Pompano Beach last year, complaining that mold had been accumulating in her unit for years and the association did nothing to address problems even as they became more and more apparent.

Jakab held the association liable for the death of her domestic partner, Joao Rodrigues, 70, in 2021.

“Water had been leaking from the outside through the unmaintained exterior walls into the plaintiffs walls,” her attorney, Robert McKee, wrote in his initial civil complaint. Jakab repeatedly complained about the contamination even before her partner’s death, but she complained that nothing was done to fix the damage, according to her lawsuit.

Inspections found mold contamination in 2020 at either “elevated” or “unusual” levels.

Published on April 29, 2023 by Sun Sentinel.