Wheaton Fireplace Lawsuits Settled

A four-year legal battle between Briarcliffe Knolls Manor homeowners and the city of Wheaton over faulty fireplaces has been settled. The dispute began after two fires caused by fireplaces that weren’t installed according to manufacturer specifications. The fires prompted the city to tell homeowners to fix or remove them because they were in violation of local ordinance. Some did, but others did not meet the November 2013 deadline, so the city sued.

Reports the Daily Herald:

Since the lawsuit was filed, almost all the 143 fireplace units have been brought into compliance. The city’s complaint against the owners and the homeowner’s association was amended in April 2014 and at that time only 12 units were still noncompliant.

Joe Kreidl, the city’s director of building and code enforcement, said it cost about $2,000 to $2,500, on average, for homeowners to remove the fireplaces and put drywall over the area. Homeowners who opted to replace the fireplaces paid an average of $4,500 or more.

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