Landlord faces suit over bedbug infestation in West Rogers Park apartment

A Cook County woman is suing over claims she and her children were injured and sustained property loss when their apartment was infested with bedbugs.

Mechecicul Turner, individually, and as mother of three minors, filed a lawsuit Sept. 10 in Cook County Circuit Court against George Zachariah.

According to the complaint, Turner resided in an apartment with her children in Jones' building on North Hoyne Avenue in Chicago, and discovered in July that the apartment was infested with bedbugs.

Turner claims the common areas of the building and units adjacent to hers were infested as early as June. She alleges she and her children sustained injuries and property loss, as the infestation forced them to dispose of certain property to eradicate the insects.

Zachariah is accused of negligence, breach of implied warranty of habitability, violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, nuisance and violating the Chicago Landlord Tenant Ordinance.

Turner is seeking more than $100,000 in damages plus attorney fees. She is represented by attorney Hall Adams of Law Offices of Hall Adams in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014L009438.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it only represents one side of the story.