Josh Donaldson Seeks Another $70K in Landlord Dispute

Josh Donaldson is pushing for extra bases after a recent win in court. 

In late June, Donaldson was granted $222,000 by a federal jury in Connecticut over a dispute with his landlord involving mold. Donaldson rented a house from Bill Grous in Greenwich, Conn. while playing for the Yankees in 2022. That money is expected to be doubled under state law. 

Donaldson filed a notice on Monday seeking accrued interest on his security deposit for the house based on the .06% rate set by the Connecticut Department of Banking for 2022. But the rate jumped to 10% 30 days after the lease was terminated in June 2022. Donaldson is owed $1,320 from April 1 to June 13, 2022 and $67,870 for the final month he paid, according to the filing. 

A three-time All Star, Donaldson played 11 seasons in the big leagues for seven different teams and spent 2022 and 2023 with the Yankees. His career earnings are roughly $158.7 million. 

Donaldson sued Grous, the house’s owner, in 2022, saying Grous failed to keep it in “livable condition” as mold caused health problems for his family. The jury found that mold issues constituted Grous breaching the $55,000-a-month lease. Donaldson and his family had moved out in April 2022, a month into the six-month lease, and never returned. 

The $222,000 is a combination of consequential and incidental damages plus substitute housing and increased transportation costs and his full $110,000 security deposit. If that amount is ultimately doubled and his latest filing is successful, Grous will owe Donaldson more than half a million dollars from the case.