Imagine returning home to find your neighborhood cordoned off, your belongings declared hazardous, and your health unwittingly compromised by a bankruptcy causing carcinogen.
This was the harsh reality for the 400+ residents of Sawyer Towers in Columbus, Ohio who fell victim to a grievous lapse in environmental management by Paxe Latitude.
Paxe Latitude LP’s mismanagement of asbestos at Sawyer Towers resulted in widespread contamination during an urgent renovation triggered by a water damage incident. Initially, the company failed to conduct mandatory asbestos inspections and neglected to notify the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of their renovation plans, both critical steps required by law.
During the renovations, Paxe Latitude did not adhere to essential asbestos management protocols. Specifically, they failed to keep asbestos-containing materials adequately wet to prevent fibers from becoming airborne and mishandled these materials, exacerbating the contamination and exposure.
The fallout from these management failures was immediate and severe. Over 160 residents were evacuated from their homes, facing not only the loss of their residences but also the destruction of their personal belongings, which were contaminated with asbestos and deemed unsalvageable. This led to both emotional distress and financial hardship, as contaminated items had to be disposed of in specialized landfills. The health risks associated with asbestos exposure, including the potential for developing serious respiratory diseases and cancers like mesothelioma, further underscored the gravity of the situation.
The broader community impacts were equally distressing.
The local housing market felt the strain as the incident reduced the availability of affordable housing, complicating the displacement crisis. Property values in the surrounding area likely suffered due to the negative publicity and the visible contamination issues. The economic implications extended beyond individual losses to affect the overall economic vitality of the neighborhood.
Pax Latitude would later be forced to sell their apartment complex after being fined $20 million for the asbestos violations.
This is the company’s owner Boruch “Barry” Drillman. I pulled this image from a court hearing in which the bitch-ass threw a whiny tantrum after his tenant’s pipes froze and then burst on Christmas Day 2022
solid human being all around, who would later go on to plead guilty to a $165 million fraud scheme. He faces prison time.