Faced with more than a dozen lawsuits by public housing tenants claiming injuries from exposure to lead paint, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City is crying broke in an improper effort to prevent the cases from even being heard in court. This questionable pre-emptive move to avoid paying damages seeks to bypass the legal process while also using it to the authority's advantage.
The lawsuits in question were filed by 13 current and former public housing tenants who say their children were harmed by lead paint exposure while living in city-owned housing between 1988 and 1997. The housing authority recently filed a complaint with the Baltimore Circuit Court requesting a ruling declaring the agency "has no funds, and therefore no ability to pay any judgment entered against it."
The lawsuits cited in the city's complaint involve 28 children, but dozens of similar lawsuits against the housing authority are either pending or expected to be filed.