Michael Jordan Mold Lawsuit Against
Home Improvement Companies
 
 Former basketball superstar Michael Jordan and his wife filed a lawsuit March 17, 2004, against several home improvement companies and the manufacturer of a synthetic stucco installed outside their Highland Park mansion.
 
 The Jordans said the substance allowed moisture inside their home, causing at least $2.6 million in mold and rot damage.
 
 Attorneys representing Jordan, 41, and his wife, Juanita Jordan, filed the suit against Sto Corp., a home-insulation company; Berke Homes Inc.; and several companies subcontracted by Berke to accommodate the installation of
 the "exterior insulation finish system," sometimes called synthetic stucco.
 
 The former basketball star, who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, and his wife decided to install the insulation as they were assisting their architect in designing the look of their home, according to the suit.
 
 Despite claims by Sto Corp. that its product eliminated the threat of water penetration in a home, the Jordans noticed problems soon after construction was finished in late 1999 and the family moved in, the suit alleged.
 
 After noticing water leaking from behind the stucco, the couple contacted Sto Corp. and several of the contractors, who told them there was some moisture but that it required only "minor maintenance," the suit contended.
 
 The Jordans' attorneys had their own tests performed and found that the stucco had not resisted water penetration as it was supposed to and that "a majority of the home," including wooden components, "were physically damaged, saturated with water, rotting and covered with mold growth," the suit alleged.
 
 The suit also said the moisture caused some damage to the interior finish of the home and that an air quality expert later found the mold growth was affecting the air quality of the home.
 
 The suit seeks $2,627,554 from Sto Corp., plus punitive damages and attorney fees. The $2.6 million total would not include any amounts to be paid in settlements from the other defendants, the suit stated.
 
 Officials at Sto's Atlanta offices and at the offices of several other defendants could not be reached on March 17, 2004.