Millisor v. Anchor Point Ventures, L.L.C.

77 Va. Cir. 246, 2008 Va. Cir. LEXIS 278
CourtHopewell County Circuit Court
DecidedNovember 7, 2008
DocketCase No. CL08-114
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 77 Va. Cir. 246 (Millisor v. Anchor Point Ventures, L.L.C.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hopewell County Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Millisor v. Anchor Point Ventures, L.L.C., 77 Va. Cir. 246, 2008 Va. Cir. LEXIS 278 (Va. Super. Ct. 2008).

Opinion

By Judge W. Allan Sharrett

This matter comes before the Court on a Complaint filed March 4, 2008, by Edna M. Millisor and James R. Millisor, jointly (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), and Mrs. Millisor, individually, and the subsequent Demurrers filed by each of the nine Defendants. Defendants Anchor Point Ventures, L.L.C. (“Anchor Point”), Ayers & Stolte, P.C. (“Ayers & Stolte”), Charles E. Ayers, Jr. (“Ayers”), Jesse L. Barber (“Barber”), Villani Real Estate (“VRE”), and Anthony J. Villani, Jr. (“Villani, Jr.”) collectively demurred on April 24, 2008. Defendants Ralph L. Costen, Jr. (“Costen”), John H. Woodfin (“Woodfin”), and The Beacon Condominium Association (“the Association”) also collectively demurred on April 24,2008. The Court held a hearing on the [247]*247Demurrers on August 22,2008, and, thereafter, received memoranda from all parties in support or in opposition to the demurrers. Having considered all the pleadings and the argument at the hearing, the Court now rules on the various demurrers.

I. Standard of Review

“A demurrer tests only the legal sufficiency of the claims stated in the pleading challenged.” Thompson v. Skate Am., 261 Va. 121, 128, 540 S.E.2d 123, 126-27 (2001). A demurrer “admits the truth of all material facts that are properly pleaded, facts which are impliedly alleged, and facts which may be fairly and justly inferred.” Id. Thus, the sole question before the trial court “is whether the facts thus pleaded, implied, and fairly and justly inferred are legally sufficient to state a cause of action against the defendant.” Id. at 128, 540 S.E.2d at 126-27. Therefore, the facts below are as alleged by Plaintiffs in their Complaint.

II. Summary of the Facts

Anchor Point, a Virginia limited liability company, created the Anchor Point Condominiums (“the Condominiums”) on April 10,2001, by recording the proper condominium instruments. Anchor Point is named as the Declarant, as defined by the Condominium Act, Va. Code §§ 55-79.39 et seq. (2007) (“the Act”). Ayers and Barber served and continue to serve as co-managers of Anchor Point. The first condominium units at the Condominiums were conveyed on or about May 10, 2001. The Condominiums are still under the period of declarant control, pursuant to Va. Code § 55-79.74 (2007 & Supp. 2008), meaning that Anchor Point still controls them and has not transferred control to the unit owners’ association, which is the Beacon Condominium Association in this case.

Due to the Condominiums having been built improperly, the buildings suffered from water intrusion from multiple sources, causing excessive mold growths, high humidity, and water condensation in and between the exterior installation and finish system. Defendants knew of the extensive water intrusion and construction defects through a report issued by an engineering firm in 2006. This report specifically named Plaintiffs’ unit, Unit 705, as a unit suffering from chronic water leakage. All of these water problems resulted in widespread mold, which produces volatile organic compounds and causes adverse human health effects.

[248]*248On May 10, 2006, a group of unit owners filed a class action suit against Anchor Point, Ayers, Barber, and the Association. Anchor Point, Ayers, and the Association were served on March 30,2007, and Barber was served on April 11, 2007.

On February 28, 2007, Plaintiffs made their first visit to the Condominiums with their realtor, Villani, Jr., founder and principal broker of VRE. Plaintiffs told him that they had heard of newspaper reports about problems at the Condominiums, including rumors of a lawsuit. Villani, Jr., assured Plaintiffs that there were no lawsuits and that all leaks and problems with the building had been remedied, leaving the building in great shape.

On March 20, 2007, Plaintiffs put down a deposit to hold Unit 705, a unit previously used as a model, and signed the sales contract. At this time, Villani, Jr., told Plaintiffs that there was a small active water leak in the bedroom ceiling, but that Anchor Point would make sure it was repaired. Plaintiffs then inquired again as to the general building condition. Villani, Jr., again assured Plaintiffs that repairs would be completed and that there was no pending legal action.

On June 14,2007, Plaintiffs discovered that the active water leak in the bedroom still was not repaired. They sent an e-mail to ask if other units were also leaking and made an appointment to visit their unit on June 15, 2007. During their visit, Plaintiffs again asked Villani, Jr., whether the problems with the leaking roof had been resolved, to which he responded that everything was fixed and there were no lawsuits.

On June 16,2007, Villani, Jr., sent an e-mail to Plaintiffs, telling them that he had informed them months ago that a dispute existed between a group of disgruntled unit owners and Anchor Point concerning the water infiltration and mold issue. Subsequently, pursuant to Villani, Jr.’s suggestion, Plaintiffs contacted Ayers to obtain more information on the lawsuit. Ayers told them there was no class action suit and that the building had been totally redone and repaired. In light of this and other conversations, Plaintiffs closed on their unit on or about September 4,2007. In the meantime though, on August 28,2007, Ayers and Anchor Point filed their answers to the class action suit that had been served on them on March 30, 2007.

Upon moving in sometime between late August and early September 2007, Plaintiffs initially experienced minor physical symptoms, such as coughing; however, on September 19, 2007, Mrs. Millisor was in the emergency room in respiratory distress. She was given oxygen and returned home. Prior to this instance, she had no history of allergies.

[249]*249On or about September 27,2007, an industrial hygienist filed a report on behalf of the class action complainants in the pending lawsuit. His report stated that serious mold and moisture problems existed at Anchor Point, needing immediate mold and moisture remediation.

Mrs. Millisor continued to have health problems while living in their unit, as did Mr. Millisor who had a lingering cough. On or about October 14, 2007, and October 17, 2007, Mrs. Millisor experienced serious respiratory distress, and on October 17, 2007, again went to the emergency room. She was given oxygen and returned home.

Generally, upon returning to Unit 705, Mrs. Millisor experienced extreme fatigue and weakness, accompanied by respiratory distress. She noted that, whenever she went outside the unit, her conditions improved. She concluded that something inside the unit was making her ill, and Plaintiffs complained to Villani, Jr., on October 25, 2007.

On or about November 1, 2007, Charlie Martin, an agent of Woodfrn Oil Company, sampled the air in the unit. On or about November 2, 2007, Martin notified Plaintiffs that the air sampling had found elevated levels of carbon monoxide. On November 3,2007, Martin notified Plaintiffs that their unit contained dangerous levels of aerial chemical pollutants and instructed them to stay out of their unit. On November 8, 2007, Mrs. Millisor learned that the carbon monoxide levels in her blood were five times higher than normal, predicting potential carbon monoxide poisoning. On November 10, 2007, Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
77 Va. Cir. 246, 2008 Va. Cir. LEXIS 278, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/millisor-v-anchor-point-ventures-llc-vacchopewell-2008.