The foundation of Brad Pitt accused of building homes of poor quality in New Orleans

A group of more than 100 owners of Lower Ninth Ward, one of the most damaged neighborhoods by the 2005 Hurricane, filed a class action lawsuit last week, accusing Pitt and his Make It Right Foundation of unfair business practices. breach of contract and fraud.

According to the lawsuit, the owners of 109 houses built by Make It Right claim that their homes face multiple problems, including mold, poor design, substandard construction and materials, electrical and HVAC failures and problems. coating.

Ron Austin, the New Orleans lawyer who represents the owners, says Pitt and the board of the foundation, formed in 2007 after raising $ 42 million, have known the problems since at least 2009 but failed to repair them despite the complaints.

"We want Brad Pitt to succeed," Austin told USA TODAY. "He can not leave these people helpless."

Pitt responded to the lawsuit in a statement to USA TODAY sent by his spokesperson:

President Bill Clinton and Brad Pitt, founder of the Make It Right Foundation, pose with DeeCarla Rogers as they welcome volunteers and inaugurate new homes in the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans, March 16, 2008 . (Photo: Cheryl Gerber / AP)

"A thorough review of the homes started just after Katrina's tenth birthday (in 2015). Thanks to the dedication of the MIR team, we are coordinating the repairs of troubled homes since the beginning of 2018 and have full confidence in the team on the ground to achieve this.

"I promised the people of Lower Ninth to help them rebuild – it's a promise that I have the intention to keep."

Austin stated that 2018 was too late to address the problems cited by the owners as early as 2009. In addition, the engineering reports on inspections conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were not submitted to the owners, it is therefore difficult to assess whether adequate repairs have been made.

"The problems our inspectors found at the beginning of our investigation revealed decaying support beams, houses that retain significant moisture, which resulted in or will lead to mold growth that is hazardous to health," Austin said. "Until the foundation provides detailed renovation plans for each house, MIR does not adequately deal with the situation."

Austin says the "tragedy" is that Pitt's efforts to help the Ninth after Katrina showed that his "heart was in the right place" but his foundation was "almost an epic failure".

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in November 2015 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP)

"He saw people suffering and he wanted to help," said Austin. "The people of New Orleans love Brad Pitt, so they gave him the benefit of the doubt, they were told to be patient and they continued to be patient as the days turned into months."

Meanwhile, the foundations put pressure on the owners to sign non-disclosure agreements and binding arbitration agreements to keep them quiet and help protect Pitt's public image. Now they are stuck in deteriorated homes that they can not sell and can not afford to leave, and they do not want to wait patiently anymore.

"I can not say what Pitt knew or did not know but what he should have known is different, "says Austin. As a board member, you have the responsibility to know. If you want to go out and do something for which everyone praises you, you have the responsibility not to go away, to put your head in the sand and to ignore what is happening. "

Austin says his clients have already been criticized by Pitt's admirers for media coverage of their longstanding complaints in New Orleans.

"We had a shock from people who thought our customers were ungrateful, people who felt (wrongly) that Brad Pitt gave them their homes. He does not have them all pay mortgages, "Austin said." But I think people are starting to understand that now. "

(The homeowners bought their homes through "soft" secondary mortgages offered by the foundation, such as those offered through government housing programs, said Austin.If the house costs $ 175,000, the owner can not allow only $ 150,000 the difference.)

Pitt's popularity remains strong even though her image was defeated by her divorce from Jolie, who remains unresolved after two years of accusations and counter-charges centered on the custody of their six children. Austin says his clients are aware that they are facing a rich and famous enemy in court.

"Whenever you're dealing with a celebrity with more money than God knows, it makes things a bit difficult for these residents," said Austin.