Bed bug lawsuit brought against apartments

TAMPA — Miami bed bug attorney Craig Dell, of the personal injury law firm Dell & Schaefer PA, is suing the owners and management company behind the 722-bed student housing facility 4050 Lofts. In a release from the law firm, it says its suing Campus Advantage Inc. and CCAL 4050 Rocky Circle Road LLC on behalf of a resident of 4050 Lofts that claims his apartment was infested with bed bugs.

The lawsuit is seeking “damages for more than 100 painful and intensely itchy bed bug bites, bodily injury, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and economic loss.”

The lawsuit alleges 4050 Lofts violated Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and is asking the court to prevent 4050 Lofts from renting apartments it claims are not safe for human occupancy. It says that less than a month after the plaintiff took possession of his apartment, the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement conducted an inspection of the apartment and found it violated of Hillsborough County Property Maintenance Code, Section 11.8.2. The lawsuit alleges 4050 Lofts received notice of the bed bug problem before the Plaintiff took possession of his unit and received continued complaints from other 4050 Lofts' tenants referencing bed bugs up through the termination of Plaintiff's lease.