Video Courtesy of News Channel 8 --
Tampa
Published
March 2, 2012
OLDSMAR -- A woman said wants the Toronto
Blue Jays to pay for damages to her condominium caused by water from an
overflowing bathtub in the unit above hers.
The damage occurred three years ago, when
the upstairs unit was rented by the baseball team and occupied by three
players, the woman said.
J. Spero, of Oldsmar, claims in a negligence lawsuit
that her condo incurred $43,113 in damages when the water came through a
light fixture in her ceiling.
"Somebody needs to make this right," she
said.
Spero, who did not have insurance for the condo, said
she hasn't lived in the unit since the damage occurred, and must wear
protective equipment when entering. She still pays mortgage on the home and
is staying with family members.
The Blue Jays were listed on the tenant statement as
paying the rent, said her attorney, Hank Sorenson, and Spero wants the team
to pay for the repairs.
The names of players staying in the unit were not
available.
"In my opinion, the Toronto Blue Jays are
responsible for this because it was an overflow of the tub caused by their
employees for which they are listed on the property management company's
invoice as the tenant," Sorenson said.
"They have not accepted responsibility for the
fact they have a tenant with the existing owner nor are they saying that the
occupants of the unit are even their employees."
The team would not discuss the lawsuit but issued a
statement that said it respected the legal process and wanted to let the
case run its course.
A plumber called to investigate believed the tub
overflowed profusely for about one hour before anyone in the unit discovered
the problem.
"It came down the wall so hard it went underneath
the tiles in the bathroom. It went behind the wall and under the
cabinets," Spero said.
The condo is owned by a man who lives out of state,
and the company hired to manage the unit has since went out of business.
Both are also named in the lawsuit, Sorenson said.
"I didn't do anything, so whoever feels the need
to take responsibility, whether it's the Blue Jays, whether it's the
owner," Spero said. "I didn't cause this."
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