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Lawsuit: Morris County Tenants Claim Home Gave Young Daughters Lead Poisoning

A Parsippany landlord is being sued by tenants who say he allowed them to live in a house with lead-based paint that poisoned the family’s 2- and 5-year old daughters -- then tried evicting them to avoid accountability, according to a report in the DailyRecord.

A Parsippany landlord is being sued by tenants who say he allowed them to live in a house with lead-based paint that poisoned the family’s 2- and 5-year old daughters -- then tried evicting them to avoid accountability, according to a recent report.

A Parsippany landlord is being sued by tenants who say he allowed them to live in a house with lead-based paint that poisoned the family’s 2- and 5-year old daughters -- then tried evicting them to avoid accountability, according to a recent report.

Photo Credit: Flickr User Mike Mozart

Elida Rodriguez and Luis Jimenez have been living in a Dover home owned by Efrain and Eda Umanzor of Parsippany for almost 10 years, the report says.

Their older daughter Joseline was initially diagnosed with lead poisoning in September of 2017. Genesis showed signs of poisoning in her blood in August 2018, less than a year later.

The paint was stripped from the home after a health inspection showed “hazardous” levels of the toxic substance in December 2017, the suit says. 

Last week, a judge banned the Umanzors from selling the home, court documents show.

The family now seeks unspecified damages, which includes a court order that prevents the selling of the home and a return of the rent funds paid prior to remediation, the report said.

Both girls — one of whom acts out and was described as “agitated and nervous” — are undergoing chelation therapy, among other treatments, the report states.

“The grim prospect for Joseline and Genesis is that they might be evicted from the only home they have known and that their parents can afford,” wrote Raquel Romero, the family’s lawyer, in a brief. “To these minors, the damage is currently incalculable. Their treatment may continue for a short period or may last a lifetime."

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