For recent updates on the pretrial motions involving the Chinese drywall issues, readers can bookmark this site and the court’s updating feed regarding the matter, located here.
Updated regularly, the site features news on motions and issues the court has handled, such as the following
August 20, 2009
On this date, the Court issued Pretrial Order #10 regarding submission of photographic catalogs of markings, brands, endtapes, and other identifying markers found in affected homes.
In the quoted item, the court decided that the effectiveness of the trials forthcoming is better suited by identifying the Chinese drywall clearly and noting its make and model. As such, the court decreed
In an effort to assure the success of the Threshold Inspection Program (“TIP”) in achieving the objectives that have been previously stated by this Court of obtaining additional information to the fullest extent possible regarding the identification of manufacturers, suppliers, installers and/or contractors of the drywall in the property without being overly intrusive or destructive to the homeowners and their property, the Court believes that the inspectors who will undertake the TIP should be properly educated on the brands, markings and other available identifications for the Chinese manufactured drywall found in affected homes to date. Toward that end, the Court orders that all parties provide either the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel or the Defendants’ Liaison Counsel with a photographic catalog of markings, brands, endtapes and other identifying markers that they have found in the affected homes
By making this motion, the court has identified an avenue in which matters may be handled more swiftly and problematic wallboard may be more easily identified. As a result, the investigatory elements of trials may move more smoothly and people (hopefully) will get the financial consideration quicker to live in a safe, clean home.