Severe Bedbug Infestation at Concorde Condominiums
A troubling bedbug outbreak at a condominium complex near Coolidge Corner has left residents feeling both frustrated and anxious. This infestation has reportedly persisted for weeks, and the resolution process through the local health department and legal channels has been disappointingly slow.
According to residents and court documents, nearly 100,000 bedbugs inhabit one unit at the Concorde Condominium complex on Green St. This problem has grown so significant that the pests have spread to at least eight other units within the building.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that he’s dealt with an infected bite from a bedbug. Although he has healed now, he still bears around 40 bites on his body, as he expressed to a local news outlet.
While these pests don’t transmit diseases, cohabiting with them is certainly unsettling, the resident remarked.
“Just sleeping at night knowing you’re getting eaten alive is unsettling,” he said during an interview.
Sigalle Reiss, Brookline’s director of public health, noted that the owner of the infested unit struggles with hoarding disorder, which complicates cleanup efforts and exacerbates the infestation.
The individual was mentioned in court records, but their name remains confidential for privacy reasons.
Reiss characterized this case as “one of the worst” in her 23 years in public health, noting the complexity of treatment given the excessive debris. “It’s difficult enough to treat bed bugs in normal situations. It’s even harder when there’s this amount of debris,” she explained. “Until this is remediated, it’s going to be a real struggle.”
Residents initially reported the bedbug issue to the Brookline Public Health Department on April 30. An investigation followed on May 7, leading to an inspection by a pest control service.
An entomologist, after assessing the unit, described the conditions as “deplorable,” indicating that many surfaces were heavily contaminated by bedbugs and their waste. The expert recommended hiring a disaster remediation service for thorough cleaning and decontamination.
On May 12, the condo was deemed “unfit for human habitation,” and by May 14, health officials ordered the resident to vacate the unit. Subsequently, the remediation efforts shifted to the legal system.
However, residents feel the remedial actions have progressed more slowly than anticipated. Now, more than a month has passed, and the situation seems far from resolved.
“We were hoping the health department would clean it out … or help us by enforcing their condemnation order, which hasn’t been done,” expressed the resident with the infected bite.
According to Reiss, it is primarily the condo association’s responsibility, along with the legal process, to enforce the order.
A court order issued on June 4 mandated that the resident with the infestation must “clean and restore” the condo to livable conditions and hire an extermination service by June 11. Since the resident failed to comply, the Condominium Trust may legally intervene to clean and restore the unit.
The attorney for the Concorde Condominiums Trustees, Jennifer Barnett, stated that the plaintiffs aim to proceed with the court’s directives to address the situation as necessary.
Additionally, the town’s legal team is maintaining “close communications” with the attorney representing the Trustees.
