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Brad Pitt's housing foundation considers legal action over hurricane homes

Written by . Published: January 03 2014

Brad Pitt and the leaders of his nonprofit organization, Make It Right, are considering legal action over claims rotting wood was supplied to rebuild homes in New Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.


The Inglourious Basterds star founded the group to aid in the environmentally friendly rebuilding of the city's Lower 9th Ward after the deadly hurricane left the neighborhood in tatters in 2005.


Now some of the glass-infused wood used to build the houses has allegedly started to rot, despite a 40-year guarantee of its durability.


Make It Right spokeswoman Taylor Royles tells New Orleans' The Advocate magazine they will be replacing all of the wood over the next six months, even on the homes that have not shown signs of decay, costing the organization about $150,000 .


Royles insists they are considering legal action to recoup the cash, stating, "We are evaluating our rights under the law and under the product warranty.


"We hope to have a candid discussion with the company and have asked them to put their insurance carrier on notice. We prefer to resolve this short of litigation, but we are prepared to pursue all legal remedies if necessary."


Pitt adds in a statement: "Make It Right is ambitious and tries new things all the time in order to make our homes better. Where we find innovative products that didn't perform, we move quickly to correct these things for our homeowners."


The actor founded Make it Right in 2007 and has helped build 87 out of a committed 150 homes in the neighborhood.

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