Case background: facts in the backdrop of the incident

Lynette R. Jividen leased Unit 1422 at Mar Lago Village in Plantation, Florida. She signed her first lease on January 15, 2016, and renewed it on December 17, 2017. ML Casa V, L.P., doing business as Mar Lago, owned the property. ZRS Management LLC managed the complex. EDS Advisors, Inc., doing business as Florida Contractors, Inc., performed roof work. The unit sat at 300 Commodore Drive, Apartment 1422. Soon after, water intruded through the roof and structure. Mold then grew within the ceilings, walls, and attic. Conditions inside the unit changed markedly. The living space transformed into an environment with abnormal moisture and microbial growth.

Cause: events leading to the legal dispute

Roof leaks existed in 2015, before Jividen moved in. Defendants knew of leaks in Unit 1422 and neighboring units. They did not disclose this history to her. They used cosmetic fixes instead of full remediation. Leaks continued through ceilings and walls. On April 24, 2017, she reported new leaks and falling drywall. Two days later, staff said many buildings leaked and repairs would come later. Patchwork repairs went untested. Moisture reached attic wood and drywall. Mold proliferated. On June 15, 2017, management asked her to stay in a hotel without expense support. On June 27, 2017, she ordered mold testing. The report showed very toxic mold indoors. After Hurricane Irma, defendants focused on insurance. Yet leaks and mold predated the storm. Limited remediation occurred in October 2017. A roof replacement followed in late December 2018.