In case you've been hiding in a cave, you know the real estate market in the US is experiencing a kind of meltdown these days. It's probably no coincidence, then, that The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NARB) has turned to a classic alternative revenue stream -- the lawsuit. NARB has brought suit against AT&T, citing the exploding
batteries in some U-verse cabinets as damper on property value. NARB claims that sales in areas near the affected cabinets "will show a dramatic drop-off until their security is ensured," which will in turn negatively impact the livelihood of realtors. Oh, if only blame could be laid at the feet of "supply and demand" issues instead!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh @ Feb 21st 2008 3:59PM
Someone's reaching for straws here. I'd imagine the majority of the prospective buyers are blissfully unaware of the problem. Maybe the realtors are telling them about it? Seems like the responsible thing to do but in the end it may give AT&T a reasonable basis for a defamation case? Seems just as logical to me.
Lakeonaut @ Feb 21st 2008 4:26PM
Frivolous lawsuits like this are, unfortunately, quite typical of the real estate sales & development industry. They are more than happy to put a Wal*Mart supercenter in your backyard; with lights shining in your windows and trucks unloading 20 feet from your bedroom. But a company that doesn't buy lots of land from them, but instead puts their equipment in federally regulated communications easements, is fair game since they aren't a big source of revenue.
Seth A @ Feb 21st 2008 4:40PM
I seem to remember AT&T vowing to replace all the batteries. I swear, I mean seriously, it wasn't their fault, when they found the problem, the vowed to fix it. What more do you expect?
LiqwidZero @ Feb 21st 2008 5:13PM
Money.
Michael @ Feb 21st 2008 5:18PM
Shouldn't it be the property owners, and not the realtors?
scottie @ Feb 21st 2008 7:56PM
Are you a moron? Haven't you seen the ads? Realtors are our friends, confidants, and protectors ... They're looking out for you.
Michael @ Feb 21st 2008 8:51PM
@scottie
How have I gone through life not knowing I had an ally?
Iridium @ Feb 22nd 2008 11:34AM
SO that's why the property values in Cleveland suburbs are tanking. It's not the lack of jobs, overly inflated prices, and ghetto crime expansion, it's all AT&T's fault.
I mean the big cabinets are pretty ugly. Everyone around me just thinks they are air conditioners for apartment buildings.
Reminds me of the property owners who threatened to sue the city for the speed cameras they put up in front of thier house. Instead of removing them the city just painted them brown and told the people to f themselves because they don't own the property the cameras sit on. The difference is that the speed camera traps are very ugly and at least a U-Verse cabinet can bring me a service.