Turmoil over termites ends in Pembroke Pines community

Article Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel

By Joe Kollin

Published July 7, 2007

 

PEMBROKE PINES -- The turmoil over townhouse termites has ended.

Marcia Rosenberg's five neighbors in the Cedarwood community have agreed to allow their building to be tented. And the city will drop the charge accusing Rosenberg of violating state law for not getting the termites out of her home.

"We settled it," Rosenberg's attorney, Melvyn Trute, said Friday.

"I'll believe it when I see the tent on my house," said Rosenberg.

Told tenting was the only way to get rid of her infestation, Rosenberg unsuccessfully tried for more than a year to get her neighbors to leave for a weekend. Early this year she sought advice from the city's building official, Sanford Laguna, who then was forced to charge her with violating the state residential building code.

The state code requires local building officials order owners take all "necessary measures" to get rid of termites within 60 days.

When she couldn't comply, Rosenberg was ordered to appear before the city's special master for code enforcement, who could fine her up to $250 a day. On June 28, he told Rosenberg to file a lawsuit to force her neighbors to evacuate the building so it could be tented.

But the neighbors met Thursday night and agreed to leave during a coming weekend. Trute said only Rosenberg's unit will be tented but the neighbors must leave because gas could seep through the walls.

He said all the neighbors agreed to sign a consent form and none will be allowed to return until tests show the gas is gone from their units.

Trute, of Bay Harbor Islands, said Rosenberg voluntarily agreed to hire a security service to protect the townhouses during the weekend of the tenting. He said neighbors didn't ask for reimbursement for their costs but Rosenberg has offered them an allowance for food while they are away from home.

Laguna said that after the townhouse is fumigated he will "absolutely" recommend Special Master Eugene Steinfeld drop the charge against Rosenberg.


Neighbors keep Pines woman from treating her termite-infested townhouse

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