Pest-control firms under fire

Homeowners say Terminix, Orkin reneged on contracts

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OPPELO — What began 10 years ago as a remodeling project for William and Gail Dickens quickly morphed into a battle against termites and the nation's largest pest-control company, The Terminix International Co. LP.

At stake is the Dickenses' most valuable possession, their 3,000-square-foot home overlooking the Arkansas River.

On March 25, the couple's dispute with Terminix is scheduled to go to a Conway County Circuit Court jury in Morrilton. They allege fraud, breach of warranty, negligence and breach of contract, and seek compensation for termite damage.

In an October 2004 answer to the Dickenses' complaint, Terminix said that it had had "a continual termite contract" on the couple's house since it was built in 1978. However, in a December 2006 motion for partial summary judgment, the company sought, but failed, to limit its potential liability to $150,000 for damage sustained after Jan. 4, 1999, the date when Terminix International purchased certain assets of Terminix Inc., an Arkansas licensee that had issued the Dickenses' original contract.

The Dickenses' lawsuit is one of four similar legal actions in Arkansas.

For more information see today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Subscribers can read the story here on ArkansasOnline.