Examples of Mold Lawsuits

krystleJanuary 22, 202424819901 views

Can You Sue If You Get Sick From Mold?

Yes, you may file a lawsuit if you get sick from mold exposure. The likelihood of successful litigation depends on certain factors that should be discussed with a lawyer to see if your case should proceed to court. Some things to take into consideration for a case concerning mold:

Causation: You need to establish a clear link between your mold exposure and your illness or damage. This can include medical records, tests, dates, photos, etc. You should consider expert testimony to demonstrate the link between the mold and your issues.
Negligence: If you claim negligence in your mold lawsuit, you need to show that the responsible party (landlord, institution, etc) failed to properly fix any water issues or leaks, failed to properly maintain the property, and/or failed to prevent and remediate mold growth.
Duty of Care: Landlords and other responsible parties have a duty to provide a habitable and safe dwelling. If they fail to do so, putting residents at risk, they may be able to be held accountable for any resulting harm or damage.
Landlord-Tenant Laws: You will need to look at your local laws, but tenants may have rights regarding mold issues regarding the condition of the rental property. If those specific local laws are violated by the landlord, the tenant may have grounds for litigation.
Damages: If you can demonstrate documented damaged suffered from mold or mold-related sickness, you can seek to gain compensation. This compensation may include medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other relevant costs.

Mold-related lawsuits may be complicated and outcomes will vary based on local laws and specifics. If you believe you have suffered mold-related injury in a case where another is responsible, you should seek legal counsel experienced in personal injury or premises liability law. They will evaluate your case and guide you through the legal process.

Lawsuits Won Against Mold

While the success of a mold lawsuit depends on individual circumstances and local laws, it can be helpful to examine successful cases won against mold. Here are some examples of lawsuits resulting in high-dollar awards to those who suffered because of toxic mold:

A Group in California

A group in California was awarded $1.3 million for claims against contractors that performed work so poorly it caused leaks and allowed mold to enter their homes.

Two Women in Delaware

Two women in Delaware were awarded $1.04 million because their landlord failed to fix leaks which led to mold in the residence, as well as claimed health issues as a result.

A Homeowner in California V Allstate

A homeowner in California was awarded $18 million against Allstate Insurance because of their refusal to approve claims for mold damage. The judge lowered the jury’s award down to $3 million.

Celebrity in Los Angeles loses big

In October 2012, former NBA player and coach Rudy Tomjanovich and his wife were ordered by a Los Angeles County Superior Court to pay over $2.7 million in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages. Plaintiff had purchased the Tomjanovich’s Pacific Palisades home in 2007 and alleged that they failed to disclose the existence of water leaks and mold in the residence during the sales transaction.

Renter in Oregon

On December 9, 2011, an Oregon jury returned a verdict of $103,000, plus attorneys’ fees, against a property management company. The plaintiff, a radiologist, had rented a home managed by the defendant. When a water leak occurred in a stairwell, plaintiff advised the defendant property management company. Despite the complaint, no repairs were made and a strong musty odor developed.

Further Recommended Reading:

Mold Testing – VCS Test

248 comments

Toxic Mold Lawsuits - The Mold Blog November 14, 2007 - 6:36 pm

[...] « Why Bleach is Ineffective Examples of Mold Lawsuits [...]

Peggy February 7, 2008 - 7:50 pm

I live in an apartment in NH. Every year during the spring rains the floor soaks. The rugs molds and smells putrid. Last year the Housing Authority was doing their annual inspection of the apartment, and I was sure it would fail...but they PASSED it. How could this agency pass an apartment for human living that was 75% soaked in water. This is EVERY year that this place soaks in like this. The foundation is cracked and the landlord has not made any attempts to fix it. In addition there is black mold on the bathroom ceiling, also behind my bed because it it near a window where the water floods in. What can I do...I want out of here, but there is no rental vouchers so I can have rental assistance. My husband has a bad heart and this cant be good for him. Help !!

Joslyn February 7, 2008 - 9:38 pm

Dear Peggy, I've responded to your question via email. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to let me know =) Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Anthony Horton December 30, 2008 - 7:50 am

I have a question... My elderly mother is living in a rent subsidized, hud approved home. She has had a mold problem that recently surfaced, and along with it Toxic Mold Poisoning, diagnosed by doctors at an emergency health care facility. It has damaged her breathing and she lost her voice, throat closure and other items. 3 months later, (I had recently moved her out temporarily) nothing has been done except wiping down with bleach. I refuse to let her go back, but can we recover damages from both hud and the landlords? This is a really disturbing issue for me, as she is disabled and nearly 80 years old. This whole situation stemmed from a water heater that exploded and soaked her carpet 6 months ago.

kimberly cogswell March 25, 2009 - 11:53 am

I am trying to find out who and where I contact regarding BLACK MOLD exposure in my residence and whether we would have a legal case against the landlord if it is indeed determined that this could be contributing to our families health problems. We just moved out of the home we have been renting for 19 months and found large areas of BLACK MOLD in our bedroom. We had been telling the landlord for months about the ceiling leaking in numerous places. As well as a RAT infestation that has never been dealt with. In the last two days we have moved out of the home, but to date the landlord has not been informed we have departed. So my thoughts are, if the mold needs to be tested in any way it needs to be done before April 2nd when they will become aware that we have moved. In the past six months my family has had many health issues that could possibly be contributed to this situation. My fiancé especially has been hospitalized and been through tons of test, is seeing a neurologist and to date has not been able to be diagnosed. His symptoms somewhat resemble Multiple Sclerosis but not for a definite diagnosis. Some are as follows: Severe headaches, daily White matter lesions on brain sheath TIA’s speech difficulties Sinusitis Short term memory loss, sometimes severe Confusion Since leaving the residence three days ago, he has not had one headache. I also have three children who have also complained of allergy related conditions that they never had before. My six year old gets chronic nose bleeds for no apparent reason. On top of that I have an 18 month old who has had many instances of ear infections and flu like symptoms often. I myself have had migraines for years but they have in the last six months worsened to the point I needed to have my medication dosage increased. I ask that someone contact us to let us know how to proceed. I thank you in advance for your time and understanding of our situation.

Melissa July 14, 2009 - 10:50 pm

My husband and I recently bought a house last month and found out thru our neighbors that the house is known for mold and has been an issue since 2002. We are waiting for the air testing to come back but my 2 yr and 10 mth old and I are staying at my parents until we get the reslts. My husband and I do not know what to do... Our agent is telling us that he would put the house for sale and get us into another home and he would pay for all the expenses plus the down payment and any other fees we put into this house. I know how seriuos mold can be and I certainly do not want to live in a house with mold... Any suggestions????

Donyale London August 13, 2009 - 8:02 am

I have filed suit againdt the contractor that improperly installed a sewer lateral to my home. There were several sewage backups in my home home subseqeunt to the installation over two years ago. A mold problem has occurred as a direct result and the contractor was not sufficiently insured. Six of my minor children have been experiencing excerbations of their asthma & allergy problems related to the exposure. I need an attorney who practices in Delaware and I'm having great difficulty locating one. Please help me and my children. Can you identify who the two ladies in DE were who were successful in suing their landlord or perhaps give me the name of the attorney who represented them?

Fred October 31, 2009 - 6:08 pm

I work in a building that over the years (5) has repeated flooding after heavy rains. The rugs get soaked and have stains from the soaking. The fiberglass insulation shows black stains I assume are mold. I experience headaches, sore throats and other symptoms. My employer who owns the bulding has done nothing to solve the problem. (Hasn't even cleaned the rugs.) There are three of us in the bulding and I seemed to have the worst reaction. We all want to keep our jobs so we haven't complain too much. But my symptoms are getting worse any ideas as to the direction I should go?

Melissa November 3, 2009 - 4:28 pm

Kimberly we seem to have the same problem. What was done to resolve your issues? Any help you could offer me would be great! I am lost with this! Thank you, Melissa

vickie yencha February 4, 2010 - 4:26 pm

We have a new construction that has mold and daughter, 2 yr old grandson, and pets all experiencing health symptoms of mold sickness. Did allergy testing and showed allergic to EVERYTHING now it seems including 8 kinds of mold. How do doctors prove it is caused by mold and what kind of doctor needs to confirm it is caused by mold. We are suing builder and bank for this reason and many other construction defects and do not know what type of doctor to go to.

Wanda June 6, 2010 - 10:57 pm

I have been renting an apartment for 14 years dealing with mold and seem to be sick all the time. My landlord just comes and paints over it. They seem not to care at all about the cough and sick. What can I do

Lila July 30, 2010 - 12:47 pm

I was in the ER last night for 6 hours having chest pains thinking I was having a heart attack at 25 years old. I was having finals at school and thought it was anxiety until they did a CT scan and revealed it was costochondritis my chest wall was inflammed he said from maybe over erretion which i though was rediculus then i looked up that mold can cause this. We have had problem after problem with our rental house and our landlord wont answer his phone with the heating and air conditioner now there is mold covering the attic, ceiling and around the air vents we were going to just pack our things and leave this weekend.So i was going to ask what can I do he wont answer and for 2 months in a row when weve wentto pay rent he hasnt been there and we had to give it to him throught the mail im in pain still i have bruises from 3 IV sites from last night and a hefty ER bill!

Bet August 14, 2010 - 12:57 pm

I have lived in an apartment in Provo, Utah, since January 2009 until now. Luckily I'm moving in a few weeks, but in the past year and a half living here, I've had mono twice and have gotten very sick and doctors can't seem to figure it out. I went to an ND who did a BioMeridian test which said I have mold poisoning. I've mentioned it to our irresponsible manager and he said there was nothing he can do. My roommates don't seem to have been very sick. However, my mom came to stay with me and woke up deathly ill and we had to get her a hotel room for the rest of her stay. She is furious with them and wants me to be reimbursed for all my doctors bills and past rent. What can I do? Who should I talk to? Could I actually win a case like this especially since I'm moving out so soon? There are big black spots that continue to reappear in our shower tile even after cleaning it thoroughly. There is also a very foul odor coming from our kitchen sink which does not go away upon cleaning. I feel much better after being away from my apartment, even for a few hours.

Deborah August 18, 2010 - 11:05 am

We currently live in military housing. I have called numerous times about the mold growing in our walls, and seeping through the light fixtures. Nothing has been done about the issue. My husband is having respritory infections and bronchitis, which he has not had in the past. If no action is taken from the housing, and the doctor states his condition could be from the mold, is this a liable lawsuit, or does it work differently with military housing?

torrey October 3, 2010 - 4:59 pm

I recently just moved out on my own into a nice house,2 months later i find out there is a full room right underneath my master bed room that is full of mold thats been there for a while,now im sitting in my room and it looks like they painted over mold on the walls,i do feel like my breathing changed but i dont no what to do,rent due on wedsday,please help me

Kathy Johnson November 18, 2010 - 10:25 pm

Hi, I would like to share the story of my husband Jeff. He died June 18th 2009 from a fungus/mold called C.Bantiana. You can google it and see how dangerous it is. The story is complicated and long but the moral is wear protection if you are cleaning up mold, and if you think you have a mold problem pay the money to get a air sample. My goal in life now it to bea an advocate to the dangers of mold!!! He had it in his brain and it is a silent killer. Please be serious about any mold. Kathy

Julie November 26, 2010 - 11:21 pm

In September of 2006 my three children and I were going to move into a home that was severely damaged by mold. At first we had no clue about the mold damage, we only knew that the house had an aweful musty smell and it was explained that the house had been closed up for two years. The landlord and I agreed that if I did the cleaning and a few small repairs he would give me three free months of rent. The repairs included painting, laying carpet, tile, sweeping, mopping, etc. My middle daughters asthma acted up every time she entered the house so the first week she stayed in the yard while I cleaned and painted. While finishing the paint in the kitchen, I moved the refrigerator and under the fridge I found a large black spot on the floor (roughly the size of a 15" car tire. I brought this up to the landlord, who in turn told me to just clean the mold with bleach water and that it was no big deal. I removed the linoleum where the mold was and realized the more linoleum I pulled up, the more mold covered the flooring. Again I brought this up to the landlord who assured me by using 2/3 cups of bleach to a gallon of water would kill the mold and it was no big deal. I continued pulling up the linoleum and cleaning the mold with a scrub brush and pure bleach instead of water and bleach. I had no knowledge concerning mold, was never told to wear a mask or anything. As I got closer to the dining area, I removed a piece of linoleum and a dust cloud blew into my face. I immediately got dizzy and turned so pale I looked like death had knocked on my door. I did make it outside for fresh air and as I walked onto the porch my oldest 2 daughters and the friend they had at the house came running to my side to see if I was ok. We ended up leaving the house because I did not feel good and the next morning when I awoke I was running a fever, my eyes were so black it looked like someone puinched in my eyes, my nose was clooged up so bad I could hardly breath, my body ached all over, I was white as a ghost..... I was deathly ill. A few more days went by and my sickness kept getting worse so I went to the ER. Over the course of a month I went to the ER at least 10 times about my sickness, finally they decided to test me for a fungal infection. During this month of ER visits I also went to see my physician and other doctors he referred me to. A lung doctor decided to also give me a fungal test.... 4 to 5 weeks later the results came in and I was positive for Rhizopus mold, Aspergillus niger and some other mold but I can't remember the name of it. I was put on an antifungal meducation but the prescription was messed up and instead of getting the 21 day prescription, I was only given 7 days. On December 12th of 2006 I was hospitalized and had an IV of amphitocerin B (or something like that, I can't remember how its spelled but its a very potent antifungal). I hired an attorney because after spending months cleaning, painting, laying carpet, etc and being so sick I could barely move the landlord decided unless I found someone to take my place and move into the home he wasn't giving me back my 500.00 deposit. Long story short it is now November of 2010 and we are no closer to closing my case than we were when I went to the attorney in 2006. My attorney does not want to go to court because he doesn't feel like I have a good enough case to win and the guy that was going to be my landlord is fighting my lawsuit left and right. Doctors in Georgia do not have much knowledge on mold cases so when I was going through my sickness it took me forever to find a doctor with any experience. I had to get nasal surgery to remove the mold in my sinuses and thank God I had a healthy immune system or the mold would've killed me. Since my illness I still have severe sinusitis attacks, I now suffer allergies (which I never had until the mold), my memory is still very bad, my right side shakes uncontrollably at times (my left side does too but it happens to my right side more), I have severe muscle aches, severe anxiety.... I feel like my health is deteriorating but none of the doctors I see can tell me why. How would I find out if the health problems I suffer from today are a result from my mold infection? Is it even possible for someone to have lifelong health problems after having a fungal infection? I don't know who to turn to or where I can go for help and when you tell doctors out here that you've had a fungal infection in the past they just look at you like you're stupid.

Angela January 20, 2011 - 2:38 pm

I rent a house and have told my landlord several times about the ceiling leaking. Me and my son have been sick for a couple of weeks now. My landlord still hasn't came and fixed the ceiling. I have not paid the rent due to him fixing the problem. Should I pay the rent or make him wait until the problem is fixed?

Angie January 27, 2011 - 9:41 am

Angela, simply withholding rent will get you evicted. Go to the Clerk of the Court and tell them you want to place your rent in Escrow. The judge may even award all or part of the money to YOU.

Ashley February 16, 2011 - 1:09 am

I rent a house and we have green and black mold growing on the walls and on our furniture and it smell bad we cant get rid of it.plus the windows licks and so does the roof and the landlord wont fix it.the claim that they dont have to money tp fix it and we have kids living in the house and we are affaid of them getting very sick .and we cant afford to move.what should we do?

Joan February 17, 2011 - 1:29 pm

I am worried sick. My granddaughter and family she has a 5 year old a 2 1/2 year old and is 8 1/2 months pregnant and their house is full of mold and they have told their landlord about it and he has done nothing. He wants them out so he can update and rent at a higher price. I am so scared for them. They seem to be sick all the time and thick its just the flue or whatever. They are scared to call the insector because they can't afford to move elsewhere. She is the only breadwinner in the family and is now home on maternity leave.

Jeanette Gagnon June 14, 2011 - 9:09 am

I do not know where you live but some states do have a number for what amount of mold is dangerous to a human being. In MA where I live it is harder because they do not have any guidelines for mold. If renting I would contact a lawyer and the health dept., if you own you would have to contact your home owners insurance or maybe even your state may have grants to take on tasks of this sort. i hope I could be of some help. Good luck

Moray Chang February 21, 2011 - 3:15 pm

I am trying to find out all the information I can in regards of suing due to mold. Any help is much appreciated. I live in El Monte, CA and me & my husband rent a studio apt. There is no fan or vents in our restroom rather than the window which we leave open while we shower until all the steam has released it still does no help. Their is mold everywhere... All on the ceilings the walls the edges on the floor... it entered our kitchen and the window ceil in the living room since it is only a studio it is very small & the mold has just grown everywhere. I asked my landlord to fix it and he has yet too. That was December.. still till this day, we cleaned & it keeps coming back. I missed alot of days of work for Jan & Feb due to being sick... passing out, fatigue, migraines.. I went to the hospital the diagnosed me with Asthma, something that doesn't run in my family, I never had it no symptoms, and I have no allergies. The doctor states it can be from mold since I have had this issue for 5 months now. We've only been living there for 6 months... I want to sue in regards to mold, and the landlord not fixing it when I asked him. I am sending another letter today... Please let me know of anything that may help my case. I do not want to be living here anymore and plan on suing the landlord and getting a new place as soon as possible. Thanks.

Jeanette March 19, 2011 - 12:53 am

I have been suffering from mold poisoning for about nine months now. I remember telling my landlord last spring about mold and it was affecting my twenty year old sons' health. Shortly after I became sick had nausea, fatigue, stomach pain, diarrhea, and every time before I was going to get sick my left nostril would run. My doctor did every blood test imaginable. I went for an upper endoscopy and the first time the doctor could not do it because my esophagus was irritated and he took a picture of what he thought was a yeast infection on my esophagus. He did a culture that was negative. My next appointment he stretched my esophagus he said it was scarred (I do have acid reflux). I got severely ill after that with fevers all the time, I lost a lot of weight and went from 120 to 99.8 lbs. I was admitted to the hospital the first time and had all kinds of tests all were negative. Less than a week later I ended up back in the hospital and had exploratory surgery and they removed my gall bladder and appendix. I realize now that the white stuff on my esophagus was aspergillus toxic mold. It was then pushed into my stomach and went through my system. I could not eat, the only thing that did not upset my stomach was ice cream. I am still living here and sleeping down stairs while trying to find an apartment. I have developed asthma and rhinitis. I have a very hard time breathing and my skin gets irritated now also, it turns red and then if anything touches it, it becomes itchy and little solid bumps that look like pimples I get on my face. It is mostly my face and scalp that itch. This is so dangerous more dangerous than I would have thought. My landlord could care less, she is covering it up instead of removing it. The plaster behind the paneling upstairs is falling. The wood above our ceilings is rotted and black in the crawl space where it has been leaking. Make sure everyone knows about this. Doctors need to know how to test for this and if all tests come back fine test for a fungus. I also got C-Diff on top of all that either because of the anti-biotic I received or the mold going through my system. God Bless all affected by this type of illness

Sherry Simmons March 31, 2011 - 9:26 am

We have black mold around our windows, and a huge spot on the ceiling corner in our bathroom!! We have addressed this issue with our apartment manager as well as the new manager since the summer of last year!! Nothing has been done!! My son has asthma and I am sure we are all being affected by it since oue entire family has had numerous upper respiratory problems! Please help!

Mikal April 29, 2011 - 8:20 pm

We have mold issues as well in our apartment. We filed a discrimmination application due to disabilities (allergies to mold) with Fair Housing and they are taking the case. Hopefully when the owners of this apartment complex gets hit below the belt monetarily, they will listen to the next tenant with issues of mold.

VICTOIOUS May 29, 2011 - 1:15 am

Jeanette; get out quick and call a mold lawyer - soon the mold will cover you clothes and skin this will burn your skin off = you can die. this is how babies, children, and adults die. get out. throw your clothes away - soak in bath for hour. get a lawyer now.

Liz Franklin June 3, 2011 - 6:47 pm

My roommates and I have been living in a house in the middle of a redwood forest for about five months now. We ran dehumidifiers, per landlords request, because she said there was a "slight mold problem" that could be cleared up after 6 weeks of running the machines. However, the house is still rampant with mold. I have bleached and scrubbed everywhere at least once a week and it still grows back strong as ever. It's growing on my shoes, my windows, my entire bathroom, outside of the house, everywhere in the garage, in the kitchen...basically everywhere in the house because the air in the forest is so damp. We have used dehumidifiers that are like bags that we hang and they suck up the moisture, but even then, they are full in a day or two and we cannot afford to spend all our money on mold preventatives. Also, the house's foundation and wood features are cracked and easily break. we asked our landlord if the mold has ever been a significant problem and they said absolutely not, yet I've heard from people in the neighborhood that the former residents had gotten sick and were forced to move out. The landlord denied this claim. Now, my roommate, boyfriend, and myself have gotten very sick and haven't gotten any better no matter what we do. We went out of town for a weekend and both my boyfriend and I got healthier. we are at our wits end and worried about our health. what can we do????

Herman J Lopez June 7, 2011 - 9:05 pm

I myself and my wife, daughters and grandson have all been effected by mold in a house we were renting. All the same sysmtoms including non-stop coughing and headaches and now asthma. I am suing, the only thing I fear is that most judges are landlords. Need I say more. The opposing lawyer represents a majot insurance company (pum parum pum pum pum pum) Which has 1000's & 1000's of lawsuits against them, even by their own clients for breach of contract, non-payment of claims, and yes many mold issues that they have lost. One would think that any insurance company would make an effort to go and check out a house that they are going to insure. Check for plumbing, electrical, septic tanks if applicable, roof, foundation and even permits with the county - checking accesors inquiry making sure that all their ducks are in order. But they dont care, they just want the money (pum parum pum pum pum pum) Because if they ever get a suit against them, they have the big dogs to release the legal mumbo jumbo to combat the language of the court. Even defense attorney's look for an easy payday because they too don't care about your health or anyones else's. They fear matching wits with those big dogs. A judge in Tulare County in 2003 filed a lawsuit against the county for mold in the court room for over a million and settled for way less because she was only sick temporarily. It does have to be toxic mold if your immune system is suppressed or you are considered a autoimmune desease person like with diabetis, aids, cancer, thyroid (see definition for autoimmune desease) any lump sum of mold can break you down an effect your health, some temporary and some serious. See AIHA website - CDC (center for dease control) and see what they say about mold.

Herman J Lopez June 7, 2011 - 9:09 pm

Im sorry second to the last sentence ( It doesn't have to be toxic mold)

Josh July 26, 2011 - 5:40 am

My mother and I have had a house fire and have been moved into an apartment on the third floor. she is over 55 and we have three dogs, two are hers and one is mine. We have been here two months and I have recently started having chest pains. I just notice the other day that there is black mold in the apartment. what should I do if they don't move me out the apartment???

Lashawn July 26, 2011 - 3:42 pm

I have been living in the apartment complex for almpst two years. I was recently diagnosed with ms. My bathroom shower is filled with black mold. I reported it months ago but nothing was done. Now it is extremely bad. AFter I shower, I get really dizzy and lightheaded. I don't know what to do at this point. i hope this can be of some help.

Jeanette July 27, 2011 - 6:11 pm

Lashawn, If I were you I would contact the board of health where you are. Show them the mold and they will force your landlord to fix it immediately. Black mold is the most dangerous of all the toxic molds. Before your health becomes worse, contact them. I know in MA your landlord cannot give you an eviction notice for six months after you contact them providing you do not have any back rent. I would contact a lawyer also after the health inspector comes and writes up your landlord. You may not have to pay any rent until this issue is properly taken care of. You may be able to save enough money to move into another, healthier place to live. I hope all works out for you. If you get too bad, I would get out of that apartment and stay with friends until it is taken care of. Best of luck

Richard August 7, 2011 - 10:27 am

After several water problems were supposedly fixed, I discovered mold in my apartment. The landlord ordered a mold test (thinking my claims were an attempt to break the lease).. they came back with 8 kinds of very toxic air-born molds. After repeatedly asking for the results they finally gave me a one page letter from the testers.. saying that there was mold. I asked about getting the full report and they refused.. so I contacted a lawyer and was able to get the report which clearly indicated there was a problem so bad that I shouldn't be in the apartment. I contacted my neighbors on my floor who had also had water leaking from the roof-- I put a copy of the recommendation from the mold expert halfway under the door.. after my landlord's agent visit with 4 contractors I noticed that the letters to my neighbors wasn't where I put them, so I contronted her and she admitted taking them.. so I called the police. How horrible is that?

Jeff September 1, 2011 - 1:16 am

I just found out today that the house I have lived in for 8 years as been basically full of blackmold the entire time. When I talked to my landlord they admitted that they were aware of the problem from before I moved in and just never decided to mention it. i had noticed it in the bathroom but it is common to have in bathrooms. Periodically we would get it in random places through out the house but i thought it was just normal. come to find out that it has been behind the walls and in the outside of our house the entire time! Since i have lived here I have a had a considerable decline in my mental capacity and my health has been horrible the last fews years. I get strange rashes all the time i have had a pain in my abdominal area for a couple years that wont go away and doctors cant figure out what it is. My youngest child that has lived here since birth has quite a few health problems including asthma, eczema, and difficulty concentrating. In fact my entire family of 4 has difficulty with memory or staying focused when we were not at all like this before living here. I really dont know what legal action to take and do not know if i can in the state of iowa but i fill like we have been poisoned by something that was known about and not disclosed. if anyone knows what to do please make any suggestion.

crystal November 16, 2011 - 2:09 am

I live in low income apartments. I found black mold in my bedrooms closet. I told my landlords. and they just painted over it. Went to the Doctors and they said that it is a good Possiblilty the reason we have been sick is cause of mold. I need help !

Leigh November 28, 2011 - 11:59 pm

I rented a home for a year and became very sick flu like symptoms chronic ear infections it only got worse 2 trip to the Er ect. The Landlord would not fix the water problem painted over mold in bathroom basement.And then I notice it in the air duct on top on a couple of inches of dust we where breathing. After I got the money to move I drove by and he had the foundation all redone in my eyes he admitted there was a problem..I need legal advise please

Mike December 11, 2011 - 11:43 am

I have purchased a mobile home from Rexmere Village in davie Florida to our finding 60%of the home was contaminated with black mold and made the home uninhabitable for my 2kids, my 88 year old gramma, my wife, my puppy and myself to live in. I have no choice but to fix all the damages. I have notified the manager of the village and she informed the owner and he stated he will not reimburse me for any repairs caused by the black mold. Please advise everyone you know about this situation cause it wrong and could happen to anyone.

Felicia December 20, 2011 - 3:20 pm

I bought a house in 1998. I knew the house had been condemned, but was told it was due to back property taxes and the owner not maintaining it. It was then purchased and "completely remodeled). Everything was supposedly brand new, which it was to the naked eye. After a year of living there I woke up after a heavy rainfall to wet floors (no basemement). I was told it was to a sewer backup. A few months later it happen again, was told the same thing and the insurance company repaired the damage. After that it started to happen more often (rainfall picked up). During this time I would have hives,and went from being virtually healthy to having respitory problems. Years,thousands of dollars, and several inspections later (many of which said there were no mold problems). I have been told I have "smokers" lungs. I have never smoked, nor does any of my friends or family. The problem is still not fixed, I am having the air tested, and have ran out of money to repair the problem. If the test comes back as a high level of toxic mold, I don't know what to do. The insurance company insist it is the result of the foundation, which two foundation specialist said it was not. Now I think they will blame it on me and lack of maintance, which is also untrue. I even had the insurance company to come out and give suggestions on how to stop the water from coming in and help me find where it is coming from. I'm at my wits end and not to mention spending a ton of money on medical bills.

Bridgette January 22, 2012 - 11:41 am

I have been diagnosed with pneumonia 3 times since November. I am under doctors orders not to return to the house I rent, because I get healthy when I leave and have a rapid decline in health within 24 hours of re-entering the home. I notified the landlords Jan 9, that I can no longer stay in the home and will be moving out. Given my current state of health I'd do my best to have everything out by the end of February, however I highly suggest they have the house tested before re-renting. I am not in a lease, as I have lived there almost 2 years and after the first year we agreed I would notify them 60-90 days in advance should I move, since I am looking to purchase a home. They seem to have no concern regarding the visible mold issues and plan to advertise availability. My doctor is so concerned she wrote a note, requesting they please have the home tested for toxicity levels, not only for my health, but future tenants as well. I do not feel I will get my deposit back and I don't feel that I should be responsible for February's rent considering I cannot stay in the home. I have missed time from work and spent quite a bit of money on doctor's appointments and medications. What is my legal responsibility and what is theirs?

Paul January 30, 2012 - 10:12 pm

Had a leaky radiator above me. 2 months went by before the super fixed it. In the meantime, pieces of the ceiling fell in and I have developed frequent bloody noses, sneezing, fatigue, and confusion. No money to move or hier a doctor, let alone a lawyer. Any advice? This is in NYC. I do not have a lease in this room.

Danny February 1, 2012 - 8:57 pm

My brother and I have been working at a powerplant on the river that had flooded into many parts of the powerplant that was approximately 100 feet long by 20 feet wide by 8 feet high. There were aluminum forms that supported wood joist that were supporting 3/4 inch plywood that was used as concrete forms. We went down there to strip these forms down. All the check in sheets stated that it was safe to work down there. We started getting bad headaches, runny and stuffy noses, and a heavy cough to name the least. These symptoms lasted for at least a week and the coiugh still persists. After the third day, we noticed black mold on most of the plywood and a few joists. We told our supervisors and they preceded to do nothing. We were ban ging stuff around and I am sure mold spores went airborne. There is more to the story, but I was curious to know if I have a legal stance against this company if they test the material and it is black mold.

Bj February 13, 2012 - 3:18 pm

Living in apt for about 4-5 months. Bathroom mold painted over it

Jacqueline Rose March 13, 2012 - 8:34 am

We have a black mold problem & our landlord's rent, because they refused to fix the leaks. We started holding back rent, until they fixed the leaks, and NOW they are evicting us. We are trying to find another place to live ASAP, but my daughter,husband & I are very sick. I already have asthma and it's gotten WORSE since we moved in, 3 months ago. Now, my 6 yr old is VERY sick with wheezing,coughing,sinus problems...her nose hasn't stopped running & at times it's hard for her to breath through it. My asthma is normally controlled with my medicine, but NOT since we moved here. I need HELP...PLEASE!!! Can I take legal action against the landlords & make them pay for our medical expenses? You can't put a price on my child's health, but SOMETHING needs to be done, so they can't hurt anyone else's child! Could this be fatal?

Sean March 14, 2012 - 7:56 pm

Im renting a house that has black mold or toxic mold in the home. I have been having health issues. I notified that landlord of the many problems with the house including the mold. It was so bad I was forced to move without giving notice. I had the health department come by and inspect the home. The landlord was violated and came to do patchwork. The mold came back. I continued to contact the landlord and they did nothing.. I was forced to move out because of heatlh reason. Now my landlord is taking me to small claims court to because I didnt give notice. What can I do to beat this landlord..Thanks

Tia March 31, 2012 - 1:00 am

I live in Ohio in an appartment and have been complaining about the mold in my house my kids now have breathing problems and sinus infections all the time, so i reported them to CMHA the housing Athorithy. Well the same day I filed the complaint they contacted the leasing office and they came to my house the same day and told me that I should havwe came to them instead of complaining to the housing athority then they said that they where not going to renew my lease and that I have to move what can I do (they said because of the bread of my dog) which I paid the deposit to have and also pay a monthly pet fee for. No complaint about my do but I now have to be out because of my Boxer at the end of April I want my deposit back and all the money I paid them in rent for her how do I fight this and still move?

Stephanie April 15, 2012 - 9:12 pm

NEED HELP PLEASE!!!!! I moved into my mobile home about three months ago and and paid four months in advance rent and deposit. Recently I have been having water damage in my home. First it was the master bathroom shower, I had notice the bottom of the wall crumbling from being wet so I contacted the property maintenance man and he came and took off I am guessing drywall or sheet rock and exposed the shower pipes/hoses and I noticed a black spot but had no idea at the time what it was because I have never seen mold or anything like it before. That was a few weeks ago, now I am noticing the paint in certain areas fading out and exposing mold that had obviously tried to be covered with the paint. I had a neighbor come in my home to look at it to tell me if she had ever experienced these "black spots" and that was when she informed me that it was black mold and could cause serious health and skin problems. I did some research online for black mold and it stated some symptoms that my children and I have been having. I took my children to the hospital I want to say around a month or two ago for some type of rashes they were getting but at the time were unaware of the mold so I didn't inform the doctor and the said they "believed" it could be severe ezcema. My oldest son has asthma and my youngest daughter was hospitalized overnight as a newborn due to the fact that she stopped breathing. My oldest children, which are my two sons have been complaining about breathing problems at night and I believe it could be due to the mold. I also read online that a few of the other symptoms could be mood swing, bloody noses, and memory loss which seems to be the type of symptoms I am experiencing and I believe my children are experiencing the mood swing and bloody nose symptoms as well. I will be taking my children to the emergency room tomorrow to be tested and myself as well. I contacted the property manager to ask for contact details for the property owner and she refuses to give me the information so that I may speak directly to them due to the fact that she was inappropriate with me on the phone stating that my email really irrated her. There has been no mention of them fixing the issue. I requested to be moved into another mobile home in the area until the issue was fixed and was denied that request. I was told by Davina the property manager that if I was having these symptoms then why was I still living in the mobile and I stated to her that it is because I put all of my money into this home and I had no money to move or go anywhere else and no friends or family to move in with. I am a twenty six year old single mother of five children whose ages are 1 yr, 3 yrs, 4 yrs, 7 yrs, and 9 yrs. It is not easy for me to just pick up and move as I already struggle to provide the best life in the quietest neighborhood for my children. Now I feel as though I am failing my children. They have been unknowingly exposed to this mold for three months, their health and even lives could be at risk. I have no idea what to do because we have no where else to go. I even told the property manager if they could just refund me all of my money I would move and we wouldn't have to involve any type of attorneys or court but all I got was a blank response and then was told by Davina that the owners of the property were attorneys so I could contact an attorney if I wanted but had no case and implied that I had no chance of doing anything about it. Do I have grounds for a lawsuit?

TBrown April 17, 2012 - 9:50 pm

I just moved out of my house it had severe mold in my sons room the bathroom and my mothers room we didn't think that the mold was that severe until it started spreading to the carpet and onto clothes we found that the landlord leveled the house incorrectly and rerouted the AC system incorrectly Hud passed the house then finally failed but my sons became very sick and my mom passed that house took everything from me and I lost a lot of money not to mention all my sentiments from my mom by the time we moved out mold was on everything its been two months and Hud wont even replyto why I had to pay 1500 just to get out of that situation. I need help and advice I just want a peace of mind

Deborah June 12, 2012 - 11:49 am

I too have been exposed to Mold in Georgia and I am seeking a doctor for treatment most do not know how. I am feeling that I am getting sicker by the week. I am so fatigued most of the time all I want to do is lay down, not sleep just lay down. Do you all know of any good doctors in Georgia?

Deborah June 12, 2012 - 11:54 am

If you have been exposed to mold or even suspect you have please contact me in email especially Georgia residents. We should band together and get the laws modified on exposure. It's a horrible experience.

Debora July 2, 2012 - 3:31 pm

In approximately 2003 I had a waterpipe break in my master bathroom wall which caused flooding along the entire back side of my house to include master bedroom/bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and den. This was covered by my insurance company. They sent a water/Fire damage company out along with contracting company. The contracting company cut out the drywall in the laundry room and only part of the bathroom (the wall just behind the toilet where the broken pipe was)the water damage company set some machines out in the den (which covered the laundry room, kitchen and den) and the master bedroom they came by each day and took some readings to see if the moisture was gone. When they gave the ok the contracting team went to work. They replaced drywall, baseboards and the bottom kitchen cabinets.At the time we opted to pay the difference and put in hardwood floors in the dining room, hallway and den. Since the bathroom at tile floor and tile surrounding the tub they didn't do anything but replace drywall and paint. Skip forward and a couple of years ago I noticed the plug in the master bathroom had black spots. I didn't think anything about it just thought it was dirt or something. The only thing I do in this bathroom is take a shower because it is really small. Then I noticed a discolored spot in the bedroom corner just outside the bathroom.(the only thing they did in the bedroom was replace the carpet) Call me dumb but I still didn't think anything about it because I knew my bedroom needed to be repainted for a long time, but being a single mom I am always last. Then I noticed small discolorations on the hardwood floor just outside the laundry room. I thought maybe someone spilled Coke or something on the floor or it was discolored from the sun and moving furniture. Well the area just keeps getting bigger and bigger and it looks like black glue(only good way to describe) or something coming up between the slats. In researching online line I found pictures of hardwood that looks like what I have and in most instances it was mold. I have not had anyone to inspect this as I am just now realizing what is actually might be. I have also had health problems arise over the last few years that could be attributed to mold. We have not had any other water damage so the previous damage I could only assume to be the culprit. Should this be covered by homeowners ins and should the previous contracting company be liable?

Sia July 13, 2012 - 1:46 pm

Hello, Since Last November 2011 I have experienced "Asthma" this past month I had a bronchoscopy done and aspergullis was found in my lungs. could this have been from the building I work in? If So How can I have the buidling tested and and is there a possible suite here?

Cathy July 24, 2012 - 11:23 am

My son and I have lived in an appartment for 4 years and I guess we had mold since day one and never realized it,until my nurse friend came and sleep over one night. My son and I were always sick with bronchitis and skin rashes all over our body , vomiting and bloody red eyes. We left the appartment now and are sueing landlord for all the stress we went through because when we would tell him to fix it his reply was buy a bottle of TILEX and it will go away..??

Matthew August 6, 2012 - 7:16 pm

I have lived in this apartment for about a year now im constantly caughing sneezing running nose and eyes mu girlfriend has the same issue except she gets horrible headaces the maintance her is horrible and take foreverto fix anything my carpet has been soaked from an ac leak for months now and wondering if it could be black mold or if I could check or have someone from outside the apartment check for me or if I have somekind of lawsuit on my hands please email mw directly at mzerby123@hotmail.com

Lindsey Becker August 11, 2012 - 4:10 am

Hi I bought a house almost 3 years ago. I have never been so sick since I moved in this house. I have had bad allergy type symptoms and the Ms type symptomz. Ive been to the er multiple times for feeling like im having a heart attack. My sewer when it rains backs up in my basement and there is always standing water in my basement. I think the people I bought the house from covered stuff up. The house is over 100 years old. is there anything I can do and is there any way of telling how long the mold or black mold has been in the house. Pleass help

anonymous September 2, 2012 - 1:26 pm

Employee housing for a large corporation in Alaska has had pretty bad mold for years. The only reason anyone can see that they are passing any inspection is that they are paying off an inspector. People (including myself) are getting sick. Responses to reports are "We can't do anything about it." They also penalize employees for missing too much work, when the mold is the cause for illness. The water system was also built too close to the sewage system resulting in a small amount of fecal matter in the water. Last year they were required to provide bottled water and boil water to a certain temperature for a time, while complaining that it wasn't necessary.

Lynda September 11, 2012 - 2:32 am

My family moved in to a home we rented for a year, in California. We moved in in December 2010. There was immediately a musty smell, and the roof shingles were falling off everywhere. I contacted our landlord and she assured me the musty smell must have been from the carpets being shampoo'd and that she would have someone come out and clean them again. The shingles flying off the roof, she said she would send someone out to fix the roof and never did. I asked her several times through the year. Her answer was always that they could not afford to put a new roof on. The bathtubs had whirlpool holes for a hot tub effect. There was constantly black gooey mold pouring out of them, and when we ran the heater or the air conditioner, the floors would be covered in a soot. I was constantly cleaning. I paid to have new carpets in through out the house, i never withheld rent, and asked her over and over to please have the roof repaired, while living there my son and i became very very ill. He is only 15 and has constant migraines, his left side of his face is in pain all the time his left nostril is always clogged and he constantly is blowing out black stuff. His lymph nodes are swollen on the one side, his body aches all over constantly, he has had 2 small seizures, a euphoric feeling all the time and he actually went crazy a few times in the house pacing the halls while his skin crawled for hours on end. He has constant nose bleeds and has now lost so much weight going from 225 to 135 in less than 7 months, i know he's eating because i make him healthy meals. He is 6'4" so 135 is almost deathly looking. I called for a mold specialist to come out and run tests on the air quality. I paid for it myself. This was on Dec 20th, 2011, on Dec 21st we got the results that showed 7 different toxic mold spores that were airborne. I immediately contacted the landlord and told her we were moving out immediately. Our lease was up so we were safe with that. I found a house that night that was new and mold free, the owner is a realtor so she had it inspected thoroughly. I told her what we have been facing and she glady took my family and 5 animals in immediately. We have been here for 9 months now, and my sons symptoms have not gotten any better. In fact his weight loss is extremely alarming. The landlords insurance company had mold specialists out also and they refuse to show me or my family the results. My son was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor that the doctors feel was brought on by the mold, also we are now getting the proper lab work done by a mold specialist doctor in Encinitas. It is costing me roughly $4000 to get these tests done because my insurance won't pay for them, but it is worth every penny spent. If the results come back with myotixins in his system and the cause of all of this, I will be filing a MAJOR lawsuit against the insurance company and the old Landlord. My son is literally dying before my eyes. He was perfectly healthy before we moved in to the home. So DON'T ever step aside if you have a landlord that is an irresponsible. Stand up for what is morally right.

Kara September 24, 2012 - 6:51 pm

Hi, I currently live in subsidized housing and I've been having a huge mold problem. There is an inspection every year and every time the inspector comes(the same guy every year) he is surprised that the housing authority hasn't done anything about the mold in my bathroom. He reports it every year too. When it is humid or just rained my carpets feel wet. I have bought numerous dehumidifiers but I use it so much that it all eventually breaks on me. I've been here for over 6 years now and I've gone through at least 4 humidifiers. It got so bad that mushrooms and mold started growing on the carpet area against the walls. The mold was on the walls as well. It's so bad because we called and complained and all they said was to wipe it up and we would be all set. I was shocked. There are 8 kids living with me and at least two of them has developed asthma in the past few years. I'm not sure if it's the mold to blame but we don't have a family history of asthma and there's not pets or anything in the house that could possibly cause it. I've complain to them multiples of time but they just make me feel like i'm ungreatful for having at least a home to live in and that I shouldn't complain anymore. They make it seem like it's my fault.

tammy doty October 5, 2012 - 8:24 am

Hi my name is Tammy Doty my family lived in a house with black mold for four years my son has developed vitiligo and atleast two nose bleeds a day along with headaches.Myself had difficulty swallowing, food allergies, chronic fatigue,IBS,coughing up black sputum,chemical sensitivities,and more.I had the health department come and they confirmed but said they couldnt do anything because it was not considered living space.When the landloed found out i was on to this she got very angry with me and hung up on me the next i knew i was getting evicted.I was so sick at the time i had no energy to fight.Since then i have watched not one but two other families move in and in a short time much shorter than it took us became sick one of which was a single mom with 4 small children who also upon mentioning this to the landlord was evicted. I along with my son has been to medical doctors all refusing to recognize this and so in a desperate attempt to help my son and myself began seeing a chiropractor who does nutritional response testing and has been able to at least stabilize us and indeed found mold as a problem in both of us. We both have come along way but my son still gets skin rashes has difficulty with food and the vitiligo is permanent damage and he has had to deal with this all through his high school years and will graduate this year. He constantly has congestion. Myself i have managed to go from 92 pounds to 110 and am able to eat better however i still have so many effects from this like food and chemical sensitivities along with fibromyalgia and lung infections and the list goes on. As i am stronger now and watch her go through her days scott free and get away with this i am so angry. She knowingly let us move into the home as many others knowing the house had this problem and for a fact i know this because they actually lived in the house we were the first to rent this house upon them moving out which she admitted to us upon renting that there daughter was very sick with allergies and they only wanted to sign a years lease in case moving didnt make her better and they wanted to move back. that statement hit me suddenly after fopur years went by and discovering that my son and i were very sick. When we went to court i brought pictures to show the judge and he said he couldnt look at them because we werent there for that. When he asked her lawyer and her about the black mold they denied any as they have with each tenant there after. Recently they evicted the last tenants and sold the house to a long distance buyer. When these buyers came to town she refused to give them the key until closing. My guess is that they were afraid they would discover this. My parents actually livre across the street from this house so i soon introduced myself as i saw them peeking in windows to see a house they were purchasing. The woman proceeded to tell me the hard time they have had with the owner and how nasty she was to them i in return asked if they didnt see that as odd and told them why i thought they were doing this. The following day they were due to close and they had a private inspector come to the home although the banks inspector had already been through the house and no mention of this serious problem. The private inspector sure enough confirmed exactly what i had told them and not to mention the new tennant happened to be allergic to mold and within an hour of being in the home started projectile vomiting. they contacted there lawyer and postponed the closing. The closing will still happen but they will have to reduce the price of the house and have it gutted and fixed. Call me what you will but i cringe at the thought of them getting away with what they have knowingly done even though it did bite them in the end and it was proven the people that have suffered so badly in the meantime makes me sick! So my question is do you think that there is anything i can do about this now? Thanks for listening hope to hear from you soon. Tammy Doty.

Matthew October 9, 2012 - 4:09 pm

I have very serious medical problems due to mold, I was an independent contractor working for Asset Management companies, Banks, HUD, Fannie Mae etc, they cut costs on how to fix mold, or get rid of it, or the looks of it. To include usually spraying KILLZ over it, just to hurry and list the house, not caring about my health, my contractors health or any future occupants or visitors. Since the mold is still there, not gone, and they never cared to take the right measures, Im talking about 1000's of homes Ive seen in my short 2 year business, let alone the millions or probably hundreds of millions theyre doing this to across the country. I have absolutely no money, no insurance, cant qualify for government assistance, and am stranded. I am seeing a very good mold doctor, and want to get this story out, and lawsuits working on, I have photo proof of the mold, and once exposure got out there would be thousands of contractors coming forward. To quote one pro in the industry ""If a mold expert would team up with a journalist to expose the dangerous cost-cutting game the nationals and banks are playing in relation to mold, then maybe we'd see some progress. If consumers are made aware that foreclosures are being improperly treated for mold, an extremely serious issue, their reaction will put a stop to this practice. Banks won't like it when their properties with mold get a death sentence, so to speak, because nobody will buy them due to fear." No contractors will come forward because the banks and asset companies pretty much blackmail them into losing all their work, and jobs if they say anything, cuz they'll just get the next guy to do it. Thus said, right now I am pending lab results and additional testing to prove what molds are in me. I have had no legal contact or media contact, this is the first attempt to put this out in hopes of finding the right people to fix this problem, that is very unsafe, hazardous, and Im sure has caused deaths and countless medical problem. Feel free to contact me Matthew11487@gmail.com if you are interested in finding out more.

a.j. October 20, 2012 - 5:15 pm

We built our home 4 years ago. A few weeks ago, I cleaned out a closet to find mold. A contractor has confirmed it in a few related areas. We have filed an insurance claim and supposedly have some mold coverage. Our adjustor called and told me not to get my hopes up because it will likely not be covered. My children suffer from severe allergies and are sick all of the time. What can I do to help pay for the cost of remediation and help get my children healthy?

Brittany October 22, 2012 - 12:42 pm

Hello, I live in an apartment complex in West Chester. A few months ago I noticed that when I would clean my shower or take a shower, black stuff would run out from underneath the shower walls... It was mold. I told the complex about it and they sent a maintenance man out who said it was mildew, he then RECAUKED the shower and said it was fine. That was the 3rd time my shower has been recauked in 6 months to keep the black stuff from running out. It is now doing it again, and I found what I believe is black mold growing behind my toilet. I have 2 small children and in the last 6 months we have all been sick, non stop. My oldest son has bad asthma and it has become worse since moving into the apartment. Me and my youngest son have had a cold and respiratory issues for 4 months straight. I also have been having unexplained medical issues in the past 6 months that have not stopped. I am a single mom and in the past 6 months I have had to take off AT LEAST 3 weeks to stay home with my kids. I don't know if I should tell the complex about it again, just to have them cover it up or what I should do... please help me.

Katlynn November 6, 2012 - 3:55 am

My maintenance man recently came to check for leaks in my bathroom. He said he didn't find any and left. a week later i get a letter in my mail from my landlord that he reported mold in my bathroom. I've lived here 6 1/2 months and i see no mold in my bathroom. he said if i didn't get it taken care of I'll be evicted. my boyfriend said it was in a small crevasse in my shower but it was already there when i moved in. what do I do? PS This is my first apartment with me and my 2 kids, income based since i dont make more than 800 a month.

Sean November 6, 2012 - 6:25 pm

I have been living in my rented apartment for 4 months now and about two weeks after i moved in the window and wall in my bedroom began leaking due to the roof above leaking, I now have mold all over the wall and it is covering from ceiling to floor, I have contacted my property management agency on a regular basis for 3 months and absolutley nothing has been done. I am beginning to feel sick when in the apartment for a couple of hours or more and have headaches all the time when inside. Is there anything I can do?

BrianReeves November 23, 2012 - 5:48 pm

I see a number of comments asking about a landlord's responsibilities and whether or not you have a legal case. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to read Toxic Mold Litigation – Who Is Legally Responsible And Do I Have A Case? https://moldblogger.com/toxic-mold-litigation-who-is-legally-responsible-and-do-i-have-a-case/ Brian from the MoldBlogger team

Diane November 6, 2012 - 10:00 pm

WE moved to orange county in march 2012. we lived 100 miles away so the realestate agent did our walk through which the under sink leaks had to be fixed to finish escrow. one week later of moving in, the repairs were not done but painted over. The seller and real estate agent sent contrators no lic but we were promised the seller was a lic contractor. huntington by the sea sent contractors to our home and both barthrooms had to be redone after the lenght of the leak, the kitchen had large amount of black mold and green dots. we then were sent to a motel but the home was not sealed off and we came home to check on the home and the kitchen parts were in the frontroom with mold the contractors were on our couches watching tv. one week later the whole house is flooded as the first bathroom the contractors fixed the pipes bust. we now have no bathroom floors and half a kitchen. hired an attorney. stuck in loan for house and land rent too. but we cant live here as we our family keeps getting sick. ... my question is where do we go to find an expert to tell us how much damage this home has done to us. Its been months and we are paying for everything. no reimbsmnt for anything. our home insurance cant help us as the seller told him he did all the work. HELP WITH ANSWERS .. thank you

Leah November 6, 2012 - 10:14 pm

I work for a state agency. Recently my office was moved to a the basement of a different building. This building was know to have black mold. They assured us when we moved in that all the mold was removed and treated. Two days ago we found mold...not sure if its black mold but it is black. We contacted the heads and they said they would have the cleaning people wipe it down with bleach. I've been sick for 3 1/2 months with some sort if lung issue because I'm having problem catching my breath, have a metal taste when I cough and occasionally cough up blood. . Do I have a case here? If so how do I go about getting out of this situation? They are going to make me work down there with the mold and I will die.

Kathy Dickey November 7, 2012 - 9:52 am

How can I find a lawyer in New Hapmshire that will be my advocate regarding health issues due to the mold in my apatement?

Kathy November 11, 2012 - 3:57 pm

We have been exposed to black mold for months now and my roommates do not give on crap. I've constantly got sick and am currently sick now, my question is, not all of us are on the lease, in San Francisco that is common and not surprising, but we have had countless of repair people come in and out of our apartment and not say one word about the mold and it is completely noticeable in the restroom it's EVERYWHERE I'm worried and scared of my personal health and my friends but yet they are too afraid to say something because If we have to leave the building (which I'm sure we would have too) we'd have no where to go. By law I know they have to take care of the people on the lease but what happens to us ? Legally since they have broken the lease by letting us live in this mess and refusing to fix it, does that mean we get taken care of too ? Please help !!

jennifer newbery November 17, 2012 - 6:27 pm

my family and i have been living in an apartment for 9months and its a big apartment complex they moved us in the apartment from the begining knowing there was a black (toxic)mold infestation through the house. i had a roofer out of my own pocket come out and do a run through to see where the damage is and the problem and the contractors for the apartment complex have been doing crap work minor fix its never pulled permits or fixed the problem properly so therfore has created massive water damage which therefore created mold everywhere i had a state certifed mold inspector come to my home and run tests and take samples another that i paid for aswell because the apartment complex kept ignoring my complaints sweeping it under the rug avioding my calls emails ect they would send maintance men to my home to do what professinals needed to be doing not your maintance man! in got my samples back and results came back postive that is was the toxic mold and i was informed u need to vacat premises so i nhad to send my kids to grandparents because for past several months we have had several health problems my kids in and out of hospital missing school on tons of meds mental issues skin problems behavioral problems and many more all which are the result of being exposed to toxic mold and the landlord dont want to do the proper fixes or contact the right people so i did i contacted lawyers the news and doctors upon doctors i now am in the middle of a major law suit and advise anyone who is going through what i am contact the right people take pictures document everything from whom ever u spoke or speak to to things that r done time and date everything have it signed cover your butt on every corner make sure you log everything including phone calls....good luck to everyone going throu what i am i hope it all works out....

Ms. bell November 18, 2012 - 11:52 pm

hi .....me and my four year old daughter live in low income housing i resently had our apartment tested for mold and 84 percent aspergillus penicillum was found in my daughters roma and 43 percent in the kitchen me and my baby have been suffering in this apartment since we moved here in 09 my apartment mánager

Ms. bell November 18, 2012 - 11:57 pm

is well aware of the problem but is going on every day as if its good for our health do i have legal grounds to file a suit

Barbara December 1, 2012 - 3:30 pm

I have been living in an apartment complex for about 16 months. About 7 or 8 months ago, I noticed respiratory problems, burning and reddening of the eyes, red face, and arms, headaches, nausea, the list goes on and on. I just found out the unit next door had a water leak problem and the wall is covered in mold--the owner of the building treated the mold supposedly with chemicals. They apartment managers say "it is not black mold yet" whatever that means. My doc told me I did not have seasonal allergies, I had environmental allergies as my throat and nose had evidence of chemical burn. She did give me an inhaler as I have trouble breathing in the apartment. I talked to the fire department. The fire chief came out with his testing equipment and it wasn't any of the usual toxins (carbon monoxide, etc) but he said it was in the wall. I've been told by the doc and fire chief to move ASAP. Trying to get the money to do so now. Been paying rent all along. Well, this Monday, they are going to bring some type of machines in here to suck everything out so I can hopefully breathe better. I have to cover everything in plastic (which they should have done), apparently whatever is in this machine will ruin furniture and electronics. I have to spend the night away from here and be gone all of Monday, which means I have to take my computer somewhere so I can work. I'm so over this. I don't even think the machines will work. I think once you have mold in the walls and in between stuff, unless you tear the building down, it still gonna be there. They offered to put me in another apartment but I just want to leave. It's unbearable right now. I'm going to the doc again Monday to see what damage this is doing. I have develops lumps in my arms, neck and chest. I've never been in a situation like this before and don't know what renters rights are in Florida about the issue of mold and chemicals. I cannot even find out who the owner of the building is as there are about 20 owners--Any advice out there. There is also mold growing in my bedroom closet.

tina December 16, 2012 - 8:14 am

I have broyhill furniture that has black and green mold on all the backs. We were sick for over a year,headaches,nose bleeds,sinus,couldn't sleep.Went to a Dr. and he mentioned mold,when I got home I checked everywhere in our bedroom,and sure enough that's when I found the mold. Contacted furniturebrands furniture and they said they would pay for a new bed,cleaning and reimburse us for the bedroom suite,after all was said and done,they now refuse to pay us back. Do we have case against them?

Waine December 19, 2012 - 1:37 pm

Hi, I rent an apartment and the bathroom wall tiles have been falling out for several years now. I've made the landlord aware and he has seen the problem. I attempted to fix the problem myself with tile adhesive and new tiles I purchased from Home Depot but the horsehair plaster (the house is almost 200 years old)cannot support the weight of the tiles. As result the shower leaks and moisture has accumulated and there is a black earthy smelling substance ie mold. Every morning I wake up my chest and lungs feel like I just ran a marathon burning or like I was swimming for a very long time. I wrote my landlord and all I get are excuses. He's raised my rent for no apparent reason and when I withheld it he sent a notice of eviction to pay by a constable. I had no choice but to pay or face being thrown out on the street because I am a TAW. I live in Massachusetts and am interested in pursuing a lawsuit against this man. I sent a letter to him today with pictures showing the problem. He hasn't taken action but I still pay my rent. I wake up every morning like I ran a marathon my chest on fire. There is a permeating earthy moldy smell. No matter which air freshener I use it returns in a short time. I also get nose bleeds and headaches often. My skin feels like it is tingling and itchy sometimes.

Heather Sarro December 27, 2012 - 8:11 pm

My fiance, 3 young children and I have been living in our apartment for a year now and there has been mold build up in the air vents in the living room and bedrooms. There seemed to be black mold on the vents and on the walls. I alerted the rental office who sent a maintenance man twice who claimed it was dust. I disagreed and bought a home mold test kit. It’s mold thst grew on the petri dish and I am sending it out to test which type of mold it is. It is black in color. I told the rental office agian and they sent the apartment manager. He looked at it and said it looked like dust and sent an air duct cleaner to clean the ducts and says he will have an air quality test done afterwards. However I’m not satisfied with the fact that they refused to test it for mold before cleaning it and we all have been having health issues which may have stemmed from this. I asked for another apartment, because I am uncomfortable staying in the apartment not knowing how far it has spread. I recently found out from the neighbors that there was a fire in the apartment above us a couple of years ago. I don’t know if that had anything to do with the mold from water damage or if the mold is in the wall. I don’t know what to do next?

johnrosenbaum January 3, 2013 - 8:28 am

I am looking for actual legal pleadings of a lawsuit for mold. Can anyone help me out?

William A. Wright January 3, 2013 - 12:40 pm

I am looking for a sample mold pleadings as well; can anyone help ME out?

Crystal January 6, 2013 - 3:33 pm

My bathroom began to leak and gush out water from the ceiling on september 2012. owner did not fix it because she lost the building so a real estate company manages the building. so ive told them about the problem and sais they would fix it..never did..i called and email them and nothing just ignored me..the leaking got worse and mold was growing next thing you know the half of the ceiling fell apart so i have bags to cover it...its been 3 months like that..I stop paying rent and now they charging me, im not going to pay because they still havent fix it..and i have 3 children. the city in my state failed the inspection..i am planning to move out (with a 1yr lease not over) and im not going to pay that money...i emailed them the pictures and nothing they dont care huh...if they take me to court you think i have a good chance to win the case..i have all my pictures and information i need for court just in case. Thanks

jessica January 15, 2013 - 7:56 pm

I too have the same problem. There is mold under the carpet and maybe even in the walls. Mynlandlord wont fix it. And another problem is we don't have a lease. What can we do legally or anything?

Annette January 25, 2013 - 10:17 am

My name is Annette DiLeonardo I have lived in a mobile home with pure black mold .I was also pregant with my little child on top of that I would be putting bleach all over the black mold it came right back .Bleach doeas not do anything the landlords told me to clean the black mold off that was all over the celion and every where else .Which to me that is the Landlord's job to do .It is there job to do that. On top of that there where cockroaches in my refrigerator and baby cockroaches all around everywhere more than a hundred that is for sure. If you can respond to me I will tell you everything else that you need to know . My huge question is can I sue those Landlords. I had alot of pictures of the black mold all around on my celion and etc...I took pictures of cockroaches in my refrigerator and on the walls too. Sincerly,Annette

Chakera, Florida February 7, 2013 - 4:59 pm

Myself and 3 daughters have been living in a mold infested apartment for the past 19 months. After making the community manager aware of the issue verbally as well as in writing nothing was done. I have pictures and documentations of this issue. Last week January 29-February1 I was rushed to the ER due to difficulty breathing,tighten of chest, hives, and itching.Friday February 1, 2013 the paramedics had to transport me and the other days A close neighbor transported me. I complained and even request to meet with the Executive Director of the Housing Authority for months, Legally what can I do for this matter??? Please someone lead me in the correct directions. Sincerly, Chakera

Cathy genco February 8, 2013 - 6:57 am

Leave appartment immediately and take landlord to court for not fixing the problem..your health is more important. My son and I have lived in an appartment with mold for 4 yrs and are very sick . My skin is horribile...i have terribile itchy hives on my skin and do not feel good at all , alwys tired . My son instead has bronchitis.

Jackie February 9, 2013 - 12:51 pm

I live in a ranch style 2 bedroom apt. in Lake County, Ohio. It is myself, husband, my 2 year old and 2 month old with 2 cats. We have lived here for almost 3 years now. Last month I kept smelling something musty coming from the back of the apartment which is where our bedrooms are. With cats I know that they tend to mark areas and decided I really needed to scrub carpets. I also noticed all of my windows looked like we had a rainstorm happening on the inside of the apartment. Well I started moving furniture around and scrubbing the carpets. My husband moved the endtable from his side of the bed and saw black spots on the wall. Looked on the same wall different corner and same thing. Called the leasing agent and maintenance guy down to the place. maintenance guy bent down with a paper towel and said "oh that's just dirt" wiped off both corners and said "you must have the heat up too high it's pretty humid in here." and left. A week later same issue in the bedroom. I packed the kids up and went to my mother's house. My husband was here with the guy and he said it was just dirt again and for us to use bleach and water solution. My husband spent the weekend scrubbing every wall and ceiling in this place. I came back home with the kids (who by the way have been sick on and off since October for my son and end of December for the newborn)to find about a week later I had water in several spots on my ceiling. I have been running a dehumidifer since coming back so again call the leasing agent and maintenance guy back down. He agreed the roofers had to come out. About a week after that meeting the roofers came out and patched a few issues they found. They never spoke to me, never said what they found. Called to see what the status was with the leasing agent and she tells me that "You must have the heater cranked, they said your apartment is so humid." Relayed that everything we had been doing plus wiping the walls down and keeping the heat at about 68ish and still having problems. Today called the office because the mold has now been found on the back of my son's dresser below where one of the leaks were. Maintenance guy came in and said he's done all he can do so he's just calling corporate. I did fail to mention that we have a gutter that's been off of the building since about 1/01/2013. Guy told me there's nothing he can do about that since it's filled with ice right now and that that wouldn't cause any issues with water on the inside because the water would just roll off the roof onto the ground. I asked him about the shingles sitting in the gutter above my unit and again said that wouldn't cause issues either. He said that the roofers did what they could but it could be leaking at one end of the roof no where near my apartment. Which of course they didn't check anywhere else. I'm to my breaking point here. My kids aren't healthy, my husband has had nothing but headaches this year. I literly spend my days looking up at the ceiling and wiping water away. Only thing keeping me going right now is that I only have 4 months left on this lease. I take pictures and run my video camera every time I see a leak or mold. I just don't know what else I can do.

diane February 10, 2013 - 3:44 pm

Jackie, take pictures! take pictures of everything. keep a journal try to remember when you moved in and start the journal from there. Things like how you felt, who was sick, medicne, doctors visits, stress, loss of work, Everything that entered your life during the time you moved into this place which effected your life. Migrains, bronchitis, many, different effects happen to us when we are effected by mold. VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!! go to lowes or home depot there is a mold test kit it will cost about 29.00. it is real easy this kit contains a swab and petri dish take a sample so you have proof. and will know what your babies and you have been exposed to. you mail in the sample and the lab will send you a report and also email you the report. TAKE PICTURES WHEN YOU TAKE THE SAMPLE THAT HELPS TOO Thinking also after reading your post why would your maintance guy tell you to use bleach? they knew it was mold! anytime everytime there is a leak in your home there is going to be mold. Your maintance man or whom you lese your place from does not have a degree or certification in mold extraction! DONT LET ANYONE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA. keep your mouth closed until youknow what your dealing with. then take all your doctor bills, prescriptions, journal, pictures and find a attorney. it would also help you if you know your neighbors they hae to have the same problems as you. after you do your homework, make friends with your neighbors and start to educate them. more claims more damage makes more powerful claims. power of a group. I wish you good luck I had all the same problems it has taken one year to finally get to court. It will be worth the wait, you have a place to live while you wait. you also can not use the things which have been exposed to the mold in your home. I read your post about the dresser the dresser you keep tyour childrens clothing in. Again good luck Diane

Rondalyn Addison February 23, 2013 - 5:01 am

I had a claim in 2002 for black mold. They tore out and replaced walls in both my baths. Myself and 2 children were put in a motel while the work was done. I recently noticed (while repainting my guest bath)that the mold is not gone. In fact it is MUCH worse than it was then. I contacted my insurance carrier at the time and was told to contact the contractor who did the work. Of course, that company no longer exists. I remember a man coming in after the work was complete and doing a test so it could be signed off on. It's been 11yrs. so I am not clear on the details. Bottom line...We have all been very sick. Various symptoms. Who is liable?

Sheree March 11, 2013 - 5:53 pm

Krystal Gaines March 15, 2013 - 9:09 am

I attend a high school that has balck mold, we have had people come out and test the air quality. They tore down the ceiling in our main office, to "repair" the problem. The ceiling just went back up yesterday and already today there is visible mold and water damage. The school keeps saying that we are not in dange but mold is visible in every hallway and many classrooms. Many student s and teachers here are constantly sick because of our mold problem but nothing has been done to help us. I am wondering if there is any legal action our students and teachers can take to get this mold out of our school. It has become so bad that whenever it rains, and about three days after, we have to put trash cans lining the hallways to catch all the dripping water which is brown and smells. Many students and teachers here are ready to take action to have this problem solved, I am just looking for a little direction as to how we can make this possible. Thank you.

John Colby March 19, 2013 - 9:45 pm

I live in privately owned Section 8 housing in Santa Cruz, California. I have heard that several residents reported they had complained about mold growing in their apartments but the management refused to do anything. Recently HUD's Los Angeles Multifamily Hub introduced a new addendum to their model lease which the management is requiring us to sign. Curiously, it addresses mold, asbestos and lead in a way that makes it seem like these dangers are the mainly the tenant's responsibility. Since these requirements cannot be objectively enforced, I wonder if they are meant to reduce an owner's liability by misusing them to claim tenant's lease violations caused problems like mold exposure. Here is a link to the memo with the addendum: http://www.lomod.org/News/2012/2012Dec/files/CA%20Lease%20Addendum%20Approval.pdf The section on mold reads: "7. Duty to Clean and Ventilate: In order to address the increasing concerns about mold and mildew, Tenant hereby acknowledges mold and mildew can grow in the Premises if the Premises is not properly maintained and ventilated and it is important for Tenant to allow air to circulate in the apartment. Tenant agrees to regularly allow air to circulate in the Premises by using bathroom fan(s), using ceiling fans, where available, and regularly opening the windows and/or sliding doors where available. Tenant also agrees to clean all toilets, sinks, counter-tops, showers, bathtubs, and tile or linoleum floors with a household cleaner on at least a bi-weekly basis. Tenant further agrees to notify landlord immediately whenever Tenant learns of any condition which could lead to a build up of moisture in the apartment, including but not limited to plumbing leaks, broken window or door seals, accumulation of rainwater or other moisture around windows or doors, broken water lines or sprinklers, inoperable fans, doors or windows and/or any failure or malfunction in the heating, ventilation or air conditioning esteem in the unit. If Tenant notices mold or mildew growing in the Premises, Tenant agrees to notify Landlord of the condition immediately and in writing."

margarita ochoa March 26, 2013 - 5:49 pm

I've lived in this home for several years, and have had problems with black mold. My landlord has came out to clean it, but it continues. My health has declined, developed, asthma, severe allergies, heart problems, chronic aches, memory problems, cancer, and so forth. I feel I have these issues cus of the black mold, please advise if I have a case, if so, what's my next step

Tina April 10, 2013 - 12:13 am

Hi I have had bronchitis six times since January and nothing seems to help. I just found out today that the apt I lived in for eight years was gutted due to black mold. I moved out a year and a half ago. There was significant mold when I was there and my landlord just told me to use bleach. Could this be why I am having so much problems with my lungs. Thanks Tina

Laurelin April 16, 2013 - 6:31 am

I purchased a modular home on Feb. 28,2013. Before purchasing, I inquired when I could have an inspection done. The sales associate told me not to waste my money that they provide a full home inspection from the village of Lynwood. So of course I was excited to save $650. After recieving the inspection and having everything marked in compliance, we purchased the home. After 5 weeks, we had the first heavy rain of the season. Now, we have leaking sky lights, leaking roof, mold in the bedroom, and over 12,000$ in damages to repair. It was put in writing that the maintenance crew the community has covered up the problems with cosmetic repairs but never repaired the problem. Now, the question I have is can I sue the company who sold me the modular home or the inspector who marked everything in the home in compliance? And to make it worse, when I called the building commissioner to find out why they marked the home in compliance when obviously it was not, he told me that the sales team who sold me my home was supposed to inform me that the roof and furnace were not certified. Had I known that I would have had my own inspection done like planned. I just don't know what if anything I can do. Can you help?

fred April 26, 2013 - 3:34 am

Ice Mold. New one but at the end of this, you will clearly see, that many locations have it. After my mother was released from a rehab in Melbourne Fl, we had to continue to say it the area for medical reason and other family reasons. I found an affordable hotel, had issues, but not bad. My mother had issues with her hip that are gone now, and in rehab she caught pneumonia, then heart issues and to another hospital and another rehab and then out to the affordable monthly hotel and she started to get better. One thing that has always helped her was small cubed ice and hotels have those ice machines and she would eat or crunch on it daily.. A month and a half into living at the hotel, she then started to get worse and had to start to take the drug called Lasix because her ankles started to swell and showed signs of that being congestive heart failure. Her lungs had a beating before and now again.. boy oh boy.. He stomach started acting up about the same time, and she would keep asking for ice.. Was it her age catching up with her, or something else I wondered? Noticing a few dark spots on the air conditioner, i looked closer.. Was/is mold.. To the night shift at the hotel front desk i went and said I would like to move and we have had the bad view for a month and staying another would like to change, and there seems to be a little mold on the air conditioner.. She showed me a few rooms and one i wanted , she said the smell in it was bad and would have someone clean it and we could move.. Never happened and the when i asked if we could move, the day desk person said they were full.. I don't think they believed me on the dark mold and a week later i cleaned the filter and washed of the mold on the front parts. Scheduled to move soon, so i did not think it was a big deal. But a week later, i notice white powder coating down the hall and it was mold on the carpet in the corner of the walk way. I reported it, and i think someone vacuumed it and did not notice until a few weeks ago.. Its back. Now mold was becoming a thing here, and when getting the ice from the ice machine, i might have been over cautious about mold being everywhere and looked at every corner what was in my path.. And now, oh wow, I noticed that in the drain of the ice machine, just below the tray that holds the ice bucket up, that i saw what looked like black or very dark green mold.. Was this a concern.. Na I thought and maybe I was now making a big deal.. And if I complained again, we might lose the good deal on the room rate.. So i let it go.. Besides there is mold or what not in most drains.. So i let it go, for a while that is.. THIS GETS BETTER AS A STORY, and .. well read on.. All the while my mother is not getting better as expected, but worse. I have dropped into a depression and figured it just the health issues with my mother and my being her helper 24/7 . A little concerned that this building might be causing issues, as my eyes are very red every morning, her too and both are itchy and painful. I just started with earaches. I don't think that is anything related.. Hum, then i meet a young couple, and in talking to the couple on this that and the other, I brought up mold.. did it discreetly so not to cause harm in the business.. but he opened up and took me to the first floor area where they apparently removed drywall in the halls, said it was mold. then up a flight of stairs to his floor and pointed out different walls that had green or black mold a month or so ago, and they maintenance had painted over it.. Said he saw it on the floor too in the form of white power. Then he said look in his room, (db0) and showed me his room and i have never seen so much mold.. Never. What he showed me was in the bathroom, and not just a bit on a shower wall, but down the sides of the wall, one walls headed under the sink and under the sink. All over the place and not just in the tile cracks.. Which i would have taken a picture. Later his girlfriend was upset that I saw it and worried the hotel would think they did it.. people ha.. I told him I had a bit in my room and saw carpet with the white looking powder on it, and then told him about the ice machine..... But something i had not mentioned to you until now, is a week before i wondered if there was a door on the ice machine so i could see inside it, a filter or what not.. There was... The door fell on the ground when i opened it.. it was kind of stuck and the force of, caused it to drop. WOW, I mean WOW, there was dark dark green to black mold on and in the water trays, to the very spot the ice was dispensed out its freezing tray and before it was into the final tray for the button to release. the mold is on the door in the same spot as the inner ice freezing tray that was molded. I was able to get the door back on tight, and it only dropped because seems to be old and worn out. I was worried about the discovery and felt I might get in trouble for even opening that door.. Kind of how the girlfriend of the guys that showed me their mold was worried.. Heck, don't want to lose the monthly deals here I guess.. people ha.. that includes me too.. So I opened this door to this Mold Ice issue and showed him. Wow he said.. Seems to be a new mold word, Wow. Not, but really, Ice Mold is.. We left and talked with his girlfriend about that and his room.. Mold in the path of water and living on the edges of the ice freezer when the ice is becoming frozen, to the pre dropping area is water that is ice coated in mold.. Oh, I don't bring ice from the ice machine anymore, but rather a newer machine below if and only if i have to and or from the convenience story or fast food soda machine.. but now i wonder about all ice machines. If you might be reading this and thinking I am making a big thing of it, don't forget, i did not seem to worried about the carpet, to some black mold on the air conditioner, but this is a WOW amount and direct to all people digesting it via unsuspecting ice.. Ice Mold.. Questions. Can mold cause, eye, ear and lung issues to even depression, oh and my mother's constant stomach..???? PS.. I did get pictures of the ICE MOLD.

Martha Atwood May 7, 2013 - 2:15 pm

I purchased my mobile home 4 years ago & started noticing a smell. I hired an inspector & they determined the mobile home has mold. I started looking in the closets and noticed that there was previous water damage, as there were stains on the side of the wall. My daughter's allergies are out of control to the point that they determined she now has asthma. I still owe $25k on my mobile home & I want out of my loan, as the home has mold. Is there a possibility that I can sue the company that sold me the mobile home & get out of the loan? When they sold me the home it had a new paint job and new carpet so I would not have noticed if there was mold prior to me moving in. Please advise if I am able to sue them, since it's been 4 years since I purchased the mobile home.

Gene May 19, 2013 - 7:07 am

The Board of health in Gardner Mass told the landlord he had to remove and remediate all mold/mold sources....the landlord didn't do it and is trying to evict me....I have constant headaches, cronic fatigue, memory loss, shortness of breath......I am on SS I want to sue my landlord......where will I go if evicted?

Jordon May 30, 2013 - 8:37 pm

Hello, i'm 18 and I have been working for a company for about a year and a half now. About six months ago i started to work the midnight shift and I have to wash dishes all night, well there is a problem with that since there is black mold all over the wall. I told my manager that i don't want to work around it and they basically told me to deal with it. They haven't replaced the wall, they just paint over it and after two days it comes right through. I feel like i'm getting sick, I have rashes on my arms and I just recently went to the hospital for heart pain which ended up in them telling me me have heart palpitations. I'm feeling fatigue and occasionally have troubles thinking. I work a full 8 hour shift and about 4 days a week for the last six months. What should i do?

Helena G. Murphy June 28, 2013 - 7:50 am

Fedral declared disaster 06/07 damage to home and severe flooding. Ins. Co. came in, said I couldn't collect, water came from the ground and left. Water kept coming and I live 1800 feet in elevation,the top of the mtn. Kept calling Ins. they said they would send an inspector, never showed. Hired my own certified insp. who deemed no water came from the ground, it came in the roof due to failed roof flashing on a roof that was 8 yrs old. Inspector submitted his report and finding and recommendations to Ins. which Ins. failed to comply. Never sent, or did anything until June of 2009, then walked away again. This case is and has been in the courts since 2007. I am unable to live in my home, the Freddie Mac Loan is trying to foreclose. I am over a million dollars in dept over this nightmare, the death of 5 animals. Loss of income, etc. I have an attorney, but I beleive he sure could use a consultant..please help me. There is so much more here, than an abstract can say of what the Ins. has been doing thru there attornies...and I have it all in writing...PLEASE HELP US

Michelle Reyes July 8, 2013 - 7:35 pm

I have mold in the basement which the owner knows about and blames us for it and he does not want to fix it. The contract says the basement is wet and he knew there was a mold problem down there but we never realized it till now since we rarely go down there. My son's asthma came back after a few years of not having anything and we are having some mold related symptoms as well. I would like to know can we break the contract if he does not fix it? I feel like I'm in danger living here for myself and my kids especially.

lisa July 26, 2013 - 4:01 am

my name is lisa I have 5 children and my bathroom wall and ceiling has been leaking from water from my neighbors toilet and tub from upstairs,i called my landlord and told her about the situation because I have green and orange mold growing on my ceiling and im scared of my children getting sick this is their 3rd time fixing the problem i told them it was the pipes and he put a piece of plastic screwed on a piece of wood and said he fixed it and left, minding you a week later it was leaking again i showed him and he played it off and said it wasn't leaking.. these people don't care about their tenants they quick to pick up rent mony but not quick to come and fix something that needs to be fixed asap theyre not coming until next week... please help me in who to call because i want to take it a step higher.. i live in Hartford ct..

BrianReeves July 31, 2013 - 12:01 pm

@Lisa, I don't have any personal experience with them, but I found these lawyers in Connecticut who deal with mold litigation. Good Luck! http://www.pppclaw.com/mold-litigation-attorney.html

Sequoiah August 6, 2013 - 6:43 pm

My name is Sequoiah and I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm 24 years old and moved here approx two years ago... When my mother, stepfather, and I relocated here for his work, we were put in an extended stay motel called "Studio 6." During this time renovations were being done on the property so we were moved from one building into another when our building was being done.. Upon moving all of our stuff to the new room I noticed in the corner behind a box and some bags that were there a great deal of black mold had grown coming from the floor and up the wall but also in the air conditioning unit. The manager of the property was notified and nothing was spoken about it again. The room was remodeled and the mold was painted/ dry walled over. I thought that was the end, but it hadnt even begun yet. Over the course of the last 3 months or so I was progressively showing symptoms of illness but wasn't aware yet... It began with the inability to get cool, sweating profusely, muscle ache, joint pains, headaches, and nausea... All of which were at different times and didnt seem enough to be symptoms... Then I was bitten by a black widow spider... The bite started with a bullseye type wound, which increased the symptoms to almost unbearable... The bite went away within two weeks and I seemed to be okay. The next incident was just simply getting up off my bed to leave for work. As soon as I stood up, I was unable to walk. I had sever lower back pain, which left me immobile and out of work in pain. I went to my local instacare for treatment and had noticed many many more symptoms surfacing... My hair was breaking off and getting shorter each time I brushed it, my sensitivity to temperature and sweating worsened, I was sensitive to light, I felt sick... But didn't know how to explain what was wrong... My menstrual cycle slowed drastically, and I started a deep feeling of " spaced out, " my memory began slowly deteriorating, short term. I had to start keeping a notepad to write down every little thing in order to remember.. The doctor told me it was most likely lymes disease and I was given dioxicillin and muscle relaxers and was able to walk again in about two weeks... But it's only gotten worse... I now have everyday shortness of breath, and breath as if I have asthma, which has never been before... I get chest pains like someone is sitting on my chest... I can't afford the tests or treatment for mold exposure and am doing all I can find holistically to maintain my constant worsening condition. I want other people in my area and all over to know that mold toxicity exposure is there, and it does happen... I'm 24 years old and can feel my body deteriorating at a fast rate. If nothing else I don't want anyone to go through what I am... I want to make people aware.. My mother and stepfather have symptoms mimicking what mine were just weeks ago... And they are also progressing the same steps I did. I feel that by covering up the mold problem the manager of the property not only took the chance from me and my family to be informed and seek medical care early enough to stop my now not fixable illness... But also put every person in that building and more so that room at risk of ending up like I am now, or worse. Thank you for your time in listening to my story.. Please feel free to contact me anytime if there's anything someone may feel will help my situation. 801-634-8261 or Seqdobbs@gmail.com

L waldrop August 15, 2013 - 9:19 pm

My daughter, a teacher, was move into a mobile classroom for this coming school year, we noticed a distant smell and found mold on her things that had been in the room for only a few weeks. Then we found that the entire insulation underneath the Mobil unit was wet and sagging from water damage, now there is condensation dripping from her ceiling and the smell is overwhelming. She has 4 children of her own, 3 under 4 years of age, one 4 months old and breast feeding. First of all I am concerned for her health and second for her 4 mo old breast feed infant. Then for the students who will be in this daily. What is the dangers to her and my grandson of 4 mo old and what should we do? She has made her principle aware and she was told to just get her room in shape and to look good for student coming Monday. Help please soon.

Beverly hersey August 18, 2013 - 12:47 pm

The HOA hired private contractors to clean out condo below us that was full of black mold. They have subjected us to the dust and particles for two days now. They chose sat & sun so theres no body we can call. Im copd and now im having dizzy spells and chest hurts, what should I do

sheldon cope August 31, 2013 - 2:46 pm

Hello all my name is Sheldon , I have read all the messages or bloggs on this web site and one common thing we all share is that we have the same poor health feeling of a flu or cold at first with a breathing problem of astema or shortness of breath and a basic illness of head aches to memory loss to loss of weight to painful sores on face and to inside of mouth and to tongue and multipal tripps to Doctors that dont have a clue on how to diagnose mold or toxic mold exposure for its a fungual infection not a virus and can not be traced in a blood test until the infected system of the body is to far along and to the point of no recovery .Alittle about myself is for your infomation and about my battle with black toxic mold exposure in my home that I rented for five years in Wildomar California in the end of August or beginning of September 2008 , that I recently discovered that in April 28 of 2008 to May 10 2008 the home was flooded with over 11000 gallons of water and as always no one knows or remembers anything about the flood except the poor neighbors who have to live next door to the infested home.I have photografts of the mold and have left the home but recovery for my health has and is a hard battle and a special diet is needed to rid the toxic mold of a failing host.I have had many test performed and all negitive till the mold was visable in my master bathroom floor when a water leak became present over 7 months ago. Im currently working on and want to make county and state depts awear of this old problem and new illness in todays life style in which we are forced to live with and hope to have a impact so no one else needs to go through this illness and health risk, please if you like what I have posted and have to say please contact me at Slvcope@me.com and please advise your doctor of the mold exposure and have a mold test done in your home for there is over 27 different kinds of toxic mold and mold in gerenal is bad and isnt healthy for the human body or animals but when talked about in the county or states eyes they say its a private industry to deal with this new illness and no one will address the issue.I have no problem standing up and even forcing the issue and make them hear me,,and my advise is get out and yell if you have too but dont be forced to live and pay a slumlord for poor health conditions and get healthly by getting away from the mold and make them listen, till later all and keep your chin up and be postive ,slvc

Sequoiah September 1, 2013 - 12:51 am

Thanks Sheldon, I received your message and will be contacting you tomorrow and we can speak further.. I feel the same and am actually relieved to find at least one other person who shares the desire to make our voices heard... For a second I was losing my hope that I indeed was not losing my mind... Thanks again. I'll talk to you soon... I encourage anyone else feeling the lack of energy, health, and confidence to stay strong and take the second to make a call... Turns out... There are people ( other than my mom lol ) who believe I and others suffering through this are not " paranoid " or " attention hungry " and together is the only way to get our voices heard.. ( 801 ) 634-8261 or Seqdobbs@gmail.com

wilson block 4 house 4 September 1, 2013 - 12:19 pm

I have read mikes review on rexmere village davie fl. 1 yr ago I have bought this mobile home. And come to find that this place hase a serious mold problem. The office here told us thay it is sold as is. Not letting us know of any problems this hoise has had. I jave 2 kids and a wife. This house is no longer habitable unless I come out my pocket and fix the issues. All they did was take advantage of me. I am 27 and new to buying homes. They knew that. Im very upset. For this house that was supposed to be fixed like new. They told me that they gutted the whole house with new floors and newwalls and new roof. For one year this place has already cost me thousands.

Sequoiah dobbs September 1, 2013 - 4:48 pm

In that case, I have actually done extensive research regarding mold in the purchase not disclosed by the seller, as once we needed to get another living situation, we proceeded into purchasing a house... And what I found out.. Is that if the seller was aware of the mold problem... And did not disclose it at the time of the sale.. And in your case if they indeed replaced things like flooring etc.... There's no way the problem wasn't apparent to them. The buyer regardless of the stipulations of the contract... Can hold the seller liable for ANY damages, repairs, and financial repercussions the problem causes. It falls under the EPAS " indoor air quality " regulations.. I'll forward the link to the statute in the next post and you can look into it.. But definitely persue the necessary agencies quickly so yu can have the relocation paid for by the seller.. As for right now, I would do what yu can, even if its a weekly situation or hotel to get your family out of that house... I can't stress the concern for your family, and it may be too late. Go to a doctor if possible and get tested for toxic mold... I didn't kno I was even sick for almost two years and by the time I had symptoms and then it's too late. And the health and consequences of toxic mold exposure left untreated tore my life apart.. Don't let it happen to your family. If you would like the information I have regarding it or would like to hear more about wat I've found in my research please feel free to contact me anytime, anyone I can help even a little from going through what I did, I will gladly try and help. Sequoiah 8016348261 seqdobbs@gmail.com

Richard Toscano September 12, 2013 - 4:50 am

I am a Home Inspector and I was just served through my email a summons for not detecting massive amounts of mold.The client was informed of this information through contractors on the job.The client moved in 3 months after my inspection.I use the NACHI contract which states that I am not responsible for detecting the presence of mold.There was no mold at the time of my inspection.Please help !! The client is also an Attorney. Sincerely, Richard

Dorothy Foret September 15, 2013 - 4:38 pm

I have a 2000 triple wide modular home and love in south louisiana. My roof started leaking and I had a contractor come out to fix it, he advised me that there was no black tir paper under any of my shingle on my roof it was never put down also upon inspecting the home he found several of my walls to be rotten mostly behind cabinets in the kitchen he also found that the house is full of mold.!!! My husband work offshore and as soon as he returns home he starts sneezing and coughing also my grand daughter who lives with us coughs a lot lately.. I can't afford a new home this one is paid for I just want to know what can I do about this because the manufacture nor the dealer who sold us this home wants to take responsibly to fix it... Please help!

BrianReeves September 17, 2013 - 9:07 pm

Do you have homeowner's insurance? If so, they may cover water damage and mold claims. Here's another article on legal responsibility. I know it probably isn't your first choice, but for your health's sake and if you can afford to, I would recommend you put on a proper new roof. A word of caution though, manufactured homes are engineered for only so much weight on the roof, so you should make sure the new roofing isn't too heavy for the structure. The manufacturer should have recommendations for such. Have you been able to identify the source of water in the Kitchen?

landon September 29, 2013 - 6:23 pm

Thanks in advance if you can help me. I live in st. louis. I've tried to find a lawyer and and am having no luck. ACLU and legal services of missouri aren't returning any messages I leave them. I'm pretty sure I need a lawyer and am having no luck finding one on my own. And yes I was in the hospital in March 2013 because of this stuff. My asthma doc. just ordered a blood test and a chest x-ray for Aspergillus (1 type of mold). I'm getting those done tomorrow. According to June 2013 allergy testing, I'm allergic to Aspergillus and Alternaria-both mold, possibly/probably allergic to other types too. I'd get mold testing done in here before I move but I can't afford it. And I know it will need to be done. If my landlord does it, I highly doubt I could get a copy of that report with what was found in my apt. Is there a way to take my landlord to court and get my rent back that I paid him in July, Aug., and Sept.?????? I have to move ASAP because of the mold. i'm going tomorrow to look at apartments. I told my landlord about the mold and he gets back to me quite quickly saying my lease is immediately terminated and that I have to move. No compensation what-so-ever for this. All I get is my $250 sec. dep. back. Yet all these time I've been telling him to fix my apt. roof and especially the ceilings on the inside and he barely does anything about it-and if he does it takes 5+ months!! wtf!!!!!!??? If he would have actually fixed things (hardly ever did), and ON TIME, like he should have done, most likely none of this should even be happening. I am on a fixed income. Financially moving will be a pain in the ass. I hardly have the money to do so-$100-and I have have just enough for 1st month's rent on my new place. That's it. then I still gotta find money for a possible last months' rent, app. fee, background check, credit check, and of course a security deposit. Yes I told my landlord that the ceilings needed to be fixed, and after 6+ months the living room ceiling was finally fixed. took damn long enough!!!! Sorry this is so long but I have to be able to explain everything. If my landlord had any issues with me as a tenant, he never notified me of such things. Last winter, there were issues with the heat-all electric 1 bedroom apartment. The heat comes out of the vents at the top of the wall. All the vents worked except the one in my bedroom. I hardly had use of my bedroom during the winter last year-slept on the couch in my living room most of the time so I wouldn't get sick anymore from sleeping in the bedroom. He sent some cheap-ass over a month ago to fix my apt. ceilings. He didn't speak proper English (slang) and didn't even have a working phone number that accepted incoming calls. They guy said he would show up at the specified time and didn't show up TWICE when I was home BOTH times. The third time I had to cancel because of a doctor apt. running late-i had to stay late to get a tube put in my ear. I also have now had to get a hearing aid because even though I haven't had any ear infections my hearing keeps getting worse=[-my ENT has no clue why this is happening but apparently mold can cause hearing loss?? My landlord called me 2 weeks ago and chewed my ass out on the phone telling me it was my fault that the guy didn't show up. BS!!! The roof leaked. He fixed the roof. It leaked again. He fixed it again for the second time. It leaked again, a 3rd time-even worse than the last time. He fixed it a third time back in June 2013. I have proof of all the following-in text message or e-mail format. And plenty of pictures too. I sent him this back in the winter- "is there a way you can come over sometime this week and see what the problem is with my vent in my room? it's cold in there even with the door open and the heat on 78-80 degrees. i stood on a chair and unless you keep your hand within 1-2 inches of the vent you can't feel any heat come out. i'd say maybe it's closed but it doesn't have the thing on the side to open and close it. thanks." He told me that there was nothing he could do about it. He also said that about my bathtub-see below. It also took him 5 months to fix my backdoor area that got ruined from all of the rain in Aug. 2012. The wall was ruined from water damage and the wood floor was making hills from being wet and then the drying wood... He said on Sept. 22nd, 2012 he would be at my place shortly to fix the interior. He didn't show up until Jan. 2013 to fix it. This is what I sent to my landlord a few says ago.. J came by not even 5 min. after you left on Sunday. All he did was sanding in the kitchen and living room. it still needs to be painted. Here's a list of what still needs to be done, and a couple are old- Bedroom- Last time the ceiling leaked there was a HUGE puddle on the floor and it ruined part of my mattress. The ceiling part where it was leaking and all the big bumps need to come down. and by there there's another tiny hole in the ceiling. NEW-A few small parts under my window where the a/c is, are long bubbles that are smashed easily in some spots- I only did a couple. J fixed under my window where the a/c is where it was leaking. that is no where near the bubble spot referenced above. There was a big gap in the side of the window sill for my windows behind my bed that got filled in. Living room- Paint what has been fixed. Fix the other part of ceiling by ceiling fan where small bubbles, brown spots, and paint cracks are popping up and check a few more spots for the same thing. Kitchen- Paint what has been fixed. The kitchen wall issues started a couple months ago. they are relatively new. It got really bad, fast. and with like no rain too. Just the very top part of the wall which was the top part of what made a big heart still needs to come down and be fixed. Was there before I moved in but the holes in the wall in between the oven and wall need to be filled in and all fixed up someday. Was there before I moved in but the screen in my kitchen window needs to have the hole fixed. I haven't ever opened that window-I want to when it's nice outside. i don't need anymore squirrels pounding nuts on my window and I'm not opening it and having one get lose in my apt. no thanks!! For hot water in the sink, the water pressure is slow as hell. It's been like that since I moved in. Not sure if you can do anything about that. The middle thing in between my fridge and oven, the granite stuff, whatever it's made of, it's loose from the wood-well if you lift it, up it goes Been loose since Dec. 2012. Just needs re gluing?? Bathroom- The part above the plastic thing in the shower is the big bubbles. Way worse than when you last looked at it. Of course the bath tub is crap. I've only cleaned it once-not to be unclean-but to stop from ruining it anymore-and NO I DIDN'T use any cleaners, just water-can't get the dirt to go down the drain if the bath mat is there-that's where most of the paint is gone, underneath ir. So I moved that and took a bucket with water to get the dirt down the drain but the paint went with it=[ was able to get most chunks in the trash but a couple of small pieces went down the drain-which is making it take a while to drain the tub when taking a shower. Depending on the time of day-I'm talking about 12-3PM and 3-7AM-there's hardly any hot water in my shower. And running it to get hot doesn't work=[ I have a screw on plastic bidet for my toilet so I don't have to use as much toilet paper. but to put it together you have to first shut off the water to the toilet. how do i do that without making a mess? Dining room- there a huge line of a crack where the wall meets the wall by the vent above my table. It's been there about a year. fix whenever you want. Were my makeshift pantry is at-the black stacked shelves-behind there are screws allowed in the wall? would it even hold? For them to be stacked the bottom shelf is technically to be screwed in the wall before you put the 2nd shelf on top. right now they are only held by 2 dowels? on each end about 2-3 in. long total, made of wood. When can you send an exterminator over?????? I've been asking since Nov. 2012 and no one has ever showed up yet=[ All you have to do is give them my #. If I think of anything else I'll let you know but this should be everything. So does this count as "in writing" or do I need to print this and mail it to you? As soon as I get the letter from my asthma doc. about me and the mold I will send you a copy. I left you a message on your message machine. Not sure if you got it or not. I took samples of what came down for the kitchen wall and the living room ceiling-for not having any leaking problems for where these 2 areas were there was a lot of mold on there=[ J said he could smell it. I can't-I don't know what mold smells like and I'm probably too used to it by now=[-I put them in a ziploc. forgot to show them to you on Sunday. It's purple mold. I don't even want to think about how bad it will be when my bedroom gets done. I'm badly allergic to mold. Back at the beginning of march I was in the hospital twice in the same week for breathing issues, low O2 stats-mid 60s, and for chest pain that lasted 3 weeks=[ Was sent home after 2 days the first time. came home fine and everything was crap and even worse within 48 hrs. went back to the hospital again and came back home and stayed home since they couldn't do anything. All they did was put me on oxygen. I'd end up fine, sent home, then it all started up again. Had med change after that all happened and besides advair twice a day I'm on albuterol around the clock for the most part-it's a recue inhaler. it's not supposed to be taken 24/7 like that. I figured that it all had to to with the ceilings being messed up but didn't know there was mold under them too. When you fix things that aren't in my apt., like the roof, you need to let me know that it actually got fixed. I can't read your mind and reminding you all the time is really annoying. I only do so every 2-3 weeks. I don't want you whining and bitching that I'm annoying you too much and you kick me out for that reason. It's been over a year and the bedroom ceiling still needs to be fixed. why is it taking so long? We only had like 2-4 rain showers in the summer? Why wasn't it done then? And it took 6 months, 3 weeks, and 1 day for my living room ceiling to get fixed. yes the first time I noticed it was on valentine's day. i called you that day around 2pm that day and you said you would be by. I figured because it was a holiday you wouldn't come by so i went to bed. Whether you ever showed up or not I don't know. If you are short on money or something and that's why it's taking you forever to fix things let me know. Unless you just hate me and are trying to piss me off (let me know)-you've done a wonderful job of that as far as maintenance issues go=/ otherwise your fine. You have yet to, at the very least, tell me why it is taking so long. I have to hear it from others. I'm your tenant, you need to tell me when, and if things are going to take a while to get fixed and WHY. The only reason i have someone else get a hold of you for me is cause I hardly ever hear back from you about things let alone WHY things are happening/done the way they are. It's like the only time i ever hear about you fixing stuff is it I remind you about it. And saying you'll do something about it, you'll do something about and then nothing happens isn't helping. I bet if I went the rest of the year and didn't remind you the things that need to be done(bedroom ceiling) it would still be the same come next summer=still not fixed. And yeah I think this is a 2nd job for you but if you need help to get things done (like my apt. fixed) then go get some. This is what my landlord wrote back. He owns mcmillen properties... We have never intended to make you unhappy, uncomfortable or to provide an unsafe living environment (BULLSHIT!!!!). I have spoken with a number of contractors in regards to the mold and the consensus is that a majority of the ceiling of the contaminated area will need to be dropped, dried out, chemically cleaned and re-built. This is a timely process and we have been advised to have the apartment vacant during construction to eliminate further exposure. Please accept this as your release of tenancy; effective immediately. A full refund of the deposit will be issued upon move-out. Let us know in writing at your earliest convenience as to your expected move-out date. ~James

elbert garner September 29, 2013 - 8:25 pm

I need some one who can help me and my family please igot mold in my kids room I find out during spring time that mold was in my son room I move in dec2012 we didn't know mold was in this house landlord lie to me she painting over the mold once spring came my wife start sme lling sewer and went it rains the walls get wet no vent in bathroom and my son room I told landlord severaltimes my son got very sick doctor say his test came back pos of mold in blood I need a lawyer please help me my phone 7088784053 my wife 4063 my elbert garner my veronica icant afford to moved but my kids health come first this hurt right now I seal the room with plastic for now

Kristen October 16, 2013 - 8:07 am

Is there a lawyer in Chicago we can contact about our mold problem which is going on right now. We believe insurance agent was negligent and caused my family to be sick and exposed to mold for over two years. Countless doctors visits. One surgery for my 4 year old . We just uncovered mold in at least two places and have an air sample rating in our house of a 297 out of 300.

freadine johnson October 21, 2013 - 11:26 am

I have a hx of sarcoidosis and sinusitis. I worked as a LPN for years. Then a position became available as an MDS coordinator. I worked in an office with 3 other ladies. I got sick first with the flare up of my sarcoidosis for which I had no symptoms since 1999. The office we worked in was a converted bedroom at this nursing facility. The roof leaked and had been leaking in that area when it was sold by Lifelink Corp to Christian Homes in 2006. So much water on the floor we had to use blankets to absorb the water to keep from getting our shoes wet. I stopped work in march 2010 due to increase in shortness of breathe and midsternal pain. I have been since dx with asthma. Another lady that worked in the office with me developed asthma also. I went to an occupational health clinic to help prove my case as mold being a causive factor in my present condition. I took good pictures and when the company did mold remediation,they only cleaned up the area in the bathroom and did nothing about the walls as moisture can be seen in the pictures. I need someone who is knowledgeable concerning environmental issues as this resident clinician at Occupational Health has not done her research. I researched her job also. All point to mold as a causive factor especially with someone has a pre existing condition with hx of allergies to dust mites and cockroaches which makes mold and allergen for me,thus asthma and excerbation of sarcoidosis. Thank you.

Chanel02 October 25, 2013 - 12:46 am

I was poisoned with my from my rented office space that experienced water damage caused by sewage back up after a heavy rain in 2011. As the months went on I was becoming very ill because the landlord did not remove the drywall, baseboard or carpeting. After going from doctor to doctor and being told it was in my head as lymph nodes were growing the size of lemons in my neck, armpits and groin, losing my hair, and multiple other symptoms I was becoming very frustrated. My assistant began experiencing the same symptoms and as a healthcare provider myself I began to feverishly research are declining health. It was after much research and many phone calls that I realized we we suffering from mold exposure. To date, as you can imagine I have had a battle on many front and the greatest has been finding an attorney well versed in this area in Pittsburgh pa. When I do, there has been a conflict of interest due to my landlord being a multimillion dollar developer in the area or when they see me and I am not deformed as in an auto accident they think I am making this up even with my infectious disease doctors report confirming my illness and it's cause. Please if you have had any other individuals from my area obtain an attorney versed in mold litigation the recommendation would be greatly appreciate. My clock is ticking and I want to prevent other tenants from experiencing what I have.

Lauren October 26, 2013 - 4:46 am

I live in a duplex with my fiancé and my 8 month old son in MA. We are on a month to month lease and have black mold all over the house. I have spoken with the neighbors and they told me that the woman that lived there before us was hospitalized due to mold inhalation. We have been there for 2 years now and there was an issue last year with mold along the ceiling in our bedroom. My fiancé is a contractor and repaired the leak that was in the ceiling. We now have started noticing mold around all the windows all over the bathroom as well as both our bedroom closet and the closet in the kitchen. We have moved our bed and my sons crib into the living room because the smell in the bedroom is so strong. We have lost thousands of dollars in shoes and clothes that are completely taken over by mold. We have cleaned the surface mold with bleach and it keeps coming back. We have notified our landlord and he is very nonchalant about the whole thing. He is refusing to pay for an air quality test. We have taken our son in to the DR.to check him out and he is fine currently but she told us to remove him from this situation immediately. We don't know what our rights are as far as tenants go because we are only month to month. Can someone please help?

angela October 31, 2013 - 1:55 am

My kids keep getting sick with high fevers, breathing problems, allergy like symptoms for the past 3 months that I moved to my new apartment. My apartment is on the first floor and every time it rained my carets got wet and the apartments I lived in are subsidized and they never did anything. I am wondering if my kids can be getting sick from this?

tonya- anthony November 6, 2013 - 12:50 pm

I lived in low income for 15 years and for the last past 5 years i have been living in hell.my apartment is so disfunctional..I'm a single mother i have a son who is artisted and he have epilepsy uncontrolled seizure.Anthony is living in a hud home with mold and mildew leaks all over the house in the bathroom the kitchen my son room mold is growing around my bathroom tub and sink.i have so meany violation around my unit it's not safe for my son

Richard November 6, 2013 - 1:11 pm

I work in a federal facility, one of the plumbers removed some drywall in my office and there was black mold behind it, quite a bit, he admitted several weeks later he knew it was there, and they then removed us. Is there anything I can do about this plumber leaving us in this office after knowing about the mold.

Nicole November 15, 2013 - 3:15 pm

A Living Nightmare!! My Parents are both disabled. They have been renting a house for a little over a year. All the while not knowing the home had been growing mold due to previous flooding in the basement. Then during the last bad rainstorm we had this year the basement flooded with my parents in the home. They lost many personal belongings that can never be replaced and was very costly! They have been cleaning out the basement and storage areas ever since. Not to forget they are both disabled. My husband & I have helped them as well. This has been a horrible experience. My parents have contacted the owner several times. In writing, emails, and by phone to ask for help & to get the flood issue resolved. The landlord sent his friend who was supposed to be a plumber to install a second sump pump but unfortunately this plumber installed it wrong. This causing more flood issues and more trouble for my parents to deal with. Well finally they've had enough and with the advise of their attorney they have decided to find a new home to move into. They have been looking for a new place for a couple months. Though being disabled and not well many times its a bit hard to go out and see new places in the winter. It's going to be very difficult for my parents to have to move in the winter months but the mold has become so horrible and is spreading throughout the rest of the house through the heating system. This has affected both my parents health and we have has to rush both of my parents to the hospital several times for breathing problems caused by the mold. It's completely outrageous! The owner/landlord refuses to acknowledge the responsibility of this basement flood/mold problem. Needless to say other repairs that have been in great need for a long time as well. We have no other choice but to get my parents moved out as soon as possible and take legal action for this nightmare that this landlord has caused my patents to endure!!! Shame on any landlord that ignores their responsibility to ensure the health & safety of their tenants. Also for being so underhanded and misleading to rent a home to anyone in such conditions. A little paint on the problem does Not fix the real issues!!!! The City Inspectors, Insurance Company, Mortgage Company, and any Government Officials are not going to be happy about this matter either!!!!

F ROMPALO November 18, 2013 - 1:03 am

i work in an old county prison, in our control room the air conditioner above ceiling tiles freezes up so we shut it off to thaw out and it leaks all over tile. there is mold growing threw tiles, i have written out to warden with a request to have issue taken care of, it has been like this for 10 plus years, now im having sinus problems, infections, eye infections, my skin is itchy when im in control room for a period of time i have developed allergies which i never had before and i get shortness of breath time to time along with feeling tired all the time. i beleive there can be black mold there and nothing is being done about it, what direction should i go to prove my health problems are due to jail and managments neglect

Sheree November 19, 2013 - 11:39 pm

I've been residing in my apartment 4 years from day one there was a mold problem carpets would get saturated when it rained. Code Enforcement inspected and found Black Mold on tack strip, under the padding/carpet evidently this was an issue before I moved in. Code Enforcement gave a violation and all the carpets were to be replaced, but the manager did not replace the 2 bdrms. Eventually I started noticing Mold on baseboards,shoes,clothes, furniture etc. Code Enforcement came again, gave another violation to clean up the mold on the baseboards. While I was out of my home the manager put Aftershock on the ceiling and the baseboards; after my telling him not to cover up the problem he needed to solve the problem the re-inspection passed because you couldn't see the Mold on the ceiling and baseboards, but they could see it on my furniture etc. then 2 floors above me was a small fire all the water came throw the air vents of that apartment above me which had a substantial amount water and down through my air vents along with the sprinkle system in each apartment. Carpets were saturated items damaged and now the mold is getting worse, due to the manager lying trying to blame me for the Mold buildup in my apartment because on a nice day I open my windows and patio door to let some fresh air in my home. From day one I've tried everything possible to freshen my home,but that mildew odor is still existing specially when it rains. Under new management now and their dragging stating that it's expensive and they have to check the budget. I stay tired, sinus stay congested, sleepless nights, eyes blurry/ mucus, mouth/ throat dry, skin dry/itch, losing eyelashes, hair dry and breakage, headaches at times. If anyone has knowledge as to who can assist me in this matter please email me. Thank you so much for your help.

Gigi November 21, 2013 - 9:32 am

Our unfortunate mold situation has gotten so uninhabitable that we are having to find a new place to live. It's difficult because my husband & I are both disabled & we have children. Limited budget & the holidays are around the corner. It's just really not fair! We have lost many implacable belongings. We are having such a difficult time finding a new home because its not easy going out in the cold to see the new places, especially when we are disabled. It's not easy getting around on a normal day to day basis. This extra stress does not make things easier. The worst of all about this situation is the landlord wants us out Asap. We need a miracle!

Mykal November 30, 2013 - 3:26 pm

I live in North San Diego County and am recovering from mold related health problems, as well as my dog. We were renting a home, and upon moving in I became extremely ill within the first month of living there. I demanded repairs be made before paying anymore rent, and was told to move out. I did not move out but withheld rent, and because I became extremely ill so that I could no longer be exposed to the mold, I went to stay at my parents house until There was something done at the home where I had all my property and was leasing. I went back 2 weeks later to find everything I owned gone from the house, locks changed, and new renters living there. I contacted the police and my landlord said I abandoned the home, and I owed him back rent and storage costs for my property and my extra car on the property. I then found out he had filed a Small Claims case against me to collect from me. I've not worked in over 3 months because I am too sick to get out of bed. It's really bad, and my dog almost died as well. I'm beginning to get better after taking many strong antibiotics prescribed to me for bacterial infections. I got access to my property by getting a restraining order on my landlord, but many of the expensive things are missing. What do I do now? I'm staying in a hotel because the home I was leasing made me I'll from mold, and I was illegally locked out and evicted, I don't have much money left because I have no income currently, and I have a whole lot of bills as a result of all the problems my landlord has caused. I need to get the house tested by a professional for mold, but there is someone else living there now. I did a home test that showed toxic black mold was present, but I'm told that's not enough. I don't know what to do. The county has been no help, and nobody wants to get involved unless I pay them $1000's up front. I barely have enough for food and my medication these days, so obviously no money to pay immediately. I feel like I'm just letting myself die here, because soon I won't have money for the hotel, food, or medicine. Then I'll be on the streets just wasting away to nothing. I used to be a healthy, happy, hard working, successful business owner who didn't use drugs, drink any alcohol, or smoke at all. Nothing. This is ruining my life! Email me mah1980@me.com if you have any help to offer!

JENNIFER November 30, 2013 - 10:23 pm

Ive got some major issues, I just rented a trailor in Alabama in October and when I got my utilities turned on the water pipes was leaking and I have no heating at all or air, the stove doesn't work and the landlord had bleached black mold that is in the house to cover up the mold issue, He has collected deposite and the rents and claims each week he is gonna repair everything and delays each week and comes up with a excuse, I am pregnet and expecting with my 5th child, I have 4 kids with medical conditions that lives in my home, please tell me what I can do, no heat and no air is one thing but the mold is making a aweful order and the sewage is backing up and he wont do anything, please help

jessica January 3, 2014 - 10:52 pm

hi everyone long story short i have a seven month old daughter and a three yr old and me and my children have been getting sick because of this toxic black mold and are symptos r getting worsewe have no where else to go i told the landlord several time but evertime she sends someone to come paint over it n i ask her if she could move us n she wont im coughing up blood now my babie is wezzing and breathing funny n my three yr old has develop some type of skin disorder n we have been in and out of the hospital please someone help me

BrianReeves January 4, 2014 - 9:49 pm

Jessica I am so sorry to hear about you and your kids. I'm glad to hear that you are willing to move out of there. If you can't afford to, might I suggest gofundme.com People raise money for all kinds of things on there. From what I understand, it's pretty straight forward. You sign up. Start a fund raising campaign, watch it build, and cash out when the time is right. With a story like yours I don't know who wouldn't donate to help move you out of there.

jessica b January 5, 2014 - 8:12 pm

I have black mold growing all over my apartment. I told the "Manager" about it last week and nothing has been done about it. Friday I contacted the health inspector and they will hopefully be coming out tomorrow. I have already lined up a new place to move to im just trying to come up with the first month rent so i can move. We also went a week without heat right before this all started happening. Should I look into a lawyer for all of this??

Jane January 6, 2014 - 3:04 am

I have been working at a law firm for almost two years now and ever since I started working in that office, I have noticed myself feeling congested on some days, irritation in the eyes, and nausea at times. My coworker who has been there for 12 years has told me that the carpet in the entire office has not been cleaned in a very long time. We have leaks in the ceiling and all my boss asks the maintenance man to do is paint over the black mold coming from that ceiling. My other Coworker who sits directly next to me has been suffering from sever headaches and congestion. Something that has only started happening since she began to work there three years ago. We have asked the head attorney, our employer, if there could be something done about the carpets yet he tells us that it is an expense he does not want to get into at this time. Several of us could be suffering from the lack of care to our office and yet his money is more important than our health. Most people don't fight it in the office because our boss will either dare us to find a job elsewhere or threaten to get rid of us. The way employment rates are these days, no one is willing to step up. I want to know what could be done about this. There has to be an end to this.

Aresha January 7, 2014 - 12:56 pm

I have reason to believe I have mold in my home. I'm not sure what kind. But last year I was diagnosed with asthma, something I've never had. My front door does leak when it rains. we have told the landlord only to be told it would be fixed and it wasn't. Me and my family also experience headaches, sneezing and coughing for no reason. I even believe my sisters Cancer was a cause of the mold. How can I prove we have mold and Can I sue for the negligence of the owners of my apartment building?

Paul Marshall January 13, 2014 - 8:45 pm

My house was severely damaged in Hurricane Sandy, I had a huge Oak tree fall onto my house my basement was flooded out. Due to the water damage there was and still is black mold on the visible cinder block walls in my basement. The contractor supposedly painted over it with "mold destroying paint." Well there is still black mold visible on the exposed walls in the storage closets in the basement. The one area is starting to leak water where I NEVER had water damage before. The black mold seems to be growing and was wet to the touch. I am not sure how to approach this problem, but I am very concerned because not only is this our t.v. room but the my children's playroom as well. I have a good feeling they left all the mold behind the walls of the finished basement. I believe they tried to just cover over it, "out of site out of mind." We just had a good rain storm this past weekend that is when I noticed the basement is starting to leak near the impact zone. I have NEVER had any type of water damage or any type of mold issue prior to this incident. I live in Maryland and I am hoping someone can help me or point me in the right direction. Thank you

Olga R. Rosales January 14, 2014 - 3:53 pm

I was renting at CottonWood, Westown apartment # 5 in El Paso, Texas. For the year a and half that I lived in that apartment, there was leakage in the air-conditioning system, all molded, even on the carpet. Sometimes the stench was so bad because the air conditioner was so old, it never worked properly. It would turn on, but it would never heat or cool. I had to use small heaters or the oven to warm up the place. In summer, they would come to fix the unit but it would only work for a couple of hours or one day and then it would not cool . I lived with fans throughout the two summers I lived there. I began to get sick especially in summer. I hated living there because of the mold and the leakage in the ceiling in the bathroom bedroom area. They claim I did not want them to come fix it. The reason is that they were changing all the old units, but they did not want to fix mine. I worked 12 hours at night and I could not have them there every day coming it everyday to do the same thing over and over. I gave up. The last time, was in November before I moved out that they came to fix. it. It just was too old. I had to move out of there. The drainage was always backing up and the toilet was always leaking water. In-excuseable. They would not write up the complaints, no matter how many times you told them. I need compensation for all those months I stayed there in the heat and cold, with leakage and mold. Now I broke the lease for that reason. I am being charged the amount for breaking the lease. Fair and square. They need to compensate me for what I went through as well.

Stone January 16, 2014 - 1:20 pm

Sterling Vikrell plumbing products by Kohler: Does anyone know anything about mold related class action suit?

Lori January 23, 2014 - 11:38 pm

Here is my story.... PEARSON, GA -- The Atkinson County Board of Commissioners announced during their Thursday evening meeting that construction codes and concerns were ignored, which produced the mold problems at the Atkinson County Health Department back in August. The commissioners presented a letter dating back to June 29, 2011 from Suites & Associates Architects addressed to Steed Robinson of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Department, saying that parts of the base of the building would "require a sump pump and could be a long term moisture problem." The chairman of the board of commissions says drainage was supposed to be built for the building, but never was. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs seemingly warned the board of commissioners about this problem of moisture prior to the set up of the building and approved the building location but not the modular construction; saying if they continue with the project it would be at their own risk. The board of commissioners never signed off on the approval of the project and so drainage was never put in for the building, creating moisture and furthermore mold. I worked in this building from the day it opened until it was condemned in August, and was sick the entire time. I am upset that they threw some bleach in it, and reopened it, I will not go back. I had a clear chest scan in late 2011, after working in the building, Oct 2012 thru August 2013, when condemned, I saw the reports, the lab said the mold was the worst they had seen in a building of any kind anywhere. I am not a county employee, so they are a third party. I have pics, air quality test reports, and mold reports from multiple labs. As you can see, the county is upset, and knows they are at fault. I had a chest scan in Oct 2013, after the county stated how bad it was, and they found multiple lung nodules, and they said a liver issue. I had bronchitis several times, as well as sinusitis. I filed workers comp Oct 30, and it took them two months to find a lung specialist for me. I had gotten worse, and am suffering breathing issues. They tired steroids, anti inflammatory drugs, and breathing treatments, as well as multiple antibiotics. The workers comp dr tried to do a six minute walk test, I lasted about a minute, oxygen SAT level fell to 86, they stopped the test. The ct scan ordered by workers comp now shows fluid building around lungs, heart, and liver lesions. Today I had to go back to the emergency room, they said I am much worse, and have signs of pleurisy. The workers comp dr seems skeptical of mold illness, so he has not ordered other tests. Now I was told by the er doctor I need a cardiologist, and he didn't know why they didn't send me to an infectious disease doctor. I know there are so few attorneys in GA who deal with mold, and workers comp will NOT provide me with a list of doctors or specialists to chose from. If you can suggest anything, please let me know, I am desperate, at this point. Thanks Lori

Jessica Gordon February 2, 2014 - 1:48 pm

Me and my kids have been liveing in hud apartment for years and have contacked houseing over two years ago about the mold in my apartment.i was told to wash it with bleach.it comes back rite away.me and my son have had sevel helth prombles i beleave caused by the mold.houseing refuses to fix it and sid it's my responsibility to clean it.iam a diabetic to and fear my family is at risk

Tatiana February 4, 2014 - 10:50 am

I need help. Currently living in mold infested home. Our bedroom ceiling fell down once again due to water damage. Been like this for 3 mnths now. The WHOLE room is molded. Black mold and some other color mold. Im asthmatic and have been having problems breathing lately. We told landlord about problem, nothing has been fixed. They never even came to look at the problem so i called hpd. They came and pit in for emergency fix due to the mold. Now they came 2 weeks ago, i called them to let them know that the landlord never came to look at it hoping they'd come nd fix problem, they tell me i have to contact AED because the building has so many violations ect.. i need a lawyer asap. I have a case with this but dnt know where to strt. Plz help

Adam Cabrera March 27, 2014 - 9:05 am

My name is Adam Cabrera. My Fiancee Jessica Summers, her son Joseph and I have lived at our apartment for a combined 4 years with me being there a little less than a year. When Jessica moved in she had noticed a small stain in our living room and reported at the time to management. She was told that it was caused by the way the paint dried and not to worry. Jessica's son Joseph has asthma issues and has spent numerous times at the Dr. as well as missing school multiply days to where Jessica has been contacted by the school numerous times. Dr.s have treated Joseph for various respiratory issues and could not rule at the time what the cause was. There has been allergy test and other test and could not figure out what it was from. Since 2010 the small stain which was told to us as a paint error has grown. New management has taken over and we signed a new lease Jan 01 2014. In mid Jan I was in our personal double car garage that is directly under our unit and I had smelled a bad odor. As I looked up in the back of our garage I noticed a big hole that leads up to our bathroom with a old yellow water stain dripping down from the whole. I grabbed a flash light and looked in the whole and saw pipes to the bathroom with mold all around it. I took pictures of the whole and also of the stain in our living room ceiling that had grown since the first time noticed. We contacted our new management and showed them the pictures. A couple of weeks after submitted management came over with there own personal maintenance guy to view unit. Management told us that they would fix the whole but did not believe that there was mold. Our son got really sick again after that and the same thing the Dr. Says it was infection that has to deal with respiratory. Dr. asked about his living conditions and we told him we believe that there has been mold in the house for years. Our Dr. said that that is the cause for him being sick all of this time. We even backed dated all of Josephs Dr. Visits that he was and had to miss school and matched all of his diagnosis with mold related sickness with all of them matching. When we told management they we need a mold investigator to look at the property they said they would not be responsible for paying for investigator. We told them that we will move forward with paying investigator ourselves, and a week later Management contacted us to tell us they have scheduled for investigator to check the 5-6 unit complex. When mold investigator walked into our unit they could automatically tell that there was some kind of mold issue on our ceiling bathroom and even bed room. They could not give us a report because management had paid for the investigation. When we asked for mold report management refused and told us that there Lawyer said they do not have to give report and if we want one we have to pay for our own investigation. Management sent a contractor over about two weeks later to look at whole complex. We were told by contractor that our unit was the best looking unit and that all units had mold. Management has not made any repairs and our living room original small spot has spread across our whole roof. We had as management if we could break our lease and be compensated relocating cost so that we can live healthy lives. Management agreed to let us break lease free of penalty but refuses to pay any relocation fees. We are looking to move forward with legal action against our land lord. We have documentation from Dr. visits, time missed from work and school due to our sons constant illness, we have pictures with dates referencing mold damage, as well as we have all emails between management/ land lord. We really our looking for some help.

B. Stone March 28, 2014 - 6:39 am

Can you identify the source of the water? If it's a defect with a specific product - like the bathtub or shower you may have additional avenues. What brand fixtures are installed?

candace March 28, 2014 - 5:37 pm

Please help. I have a friend who is in need of free legal representation. She bought a mobile home 6 months ago from a huge company who sold her this home that has tons of mold . She and her small children have gotten very sick. The Company she bought the home from said they would buy it back but she would have to come up with $10,000.00. She is a single parent with 3 children. She went to Rex Perris and they wanted $3000.00. She needs help ....please . We live in the Antelope Valley in Ca.

Marquita April 30, 2014 - 4:12 am

We leave in a shelter in mobile Alabama. After the 2day of being here I began to have reaction to the mold. The director told me I had a cold and tried to sweep it under the rug. There has been several families sick behind living here,including a new born baby. We're going up the chain of command and been to the hospital. What else can we do. Is this a law suit?

Sheree Fisher April 30, 2014 - 10:20 am

I emailed on 3/11/13 and 11/13/13 my concerns Regarding the Black Mold in my home that is airborne since 2009. Till this date I have not received any advice or comments on the situation from Mr. Johnathan Wold other than emails informing me of complaints made by others regarding their experiences with mold. Mr. Johnathan Wold I notice there are some emails that has a reply, would you please advice me? Thank you in advance for your assistance in the matter. PS. I was under the impression that posting my concerns, I would receive acknowledgement regarding the matter, not just posting my experience of complaint with MOLD in my home.

BrianReeves April 30, 2014 - 11:45 am

I'm very sorry you have not received a response. Jonathan Wold no longer manages MoldBlogger.com. I checked my Inbox to see if it came to my email, but I don't see it there. If you email me at brian@moldblogger.com I will do my best to help.

Sheree Fisher April 30, 2014 - 6:24 pm

I have been residing in my apartment since 2009. Within that time after a few weeks I continuously was smelling a very FOUL ODOR throughout my apartment. Each time it rained my carpet by the. Patio door/front door would get saturated with water ODOR increased, immediately notified manager of complex he would have the company that cleans the carpets for the complex come to extract the water and shampoo that carpet. This went on for a year, with me trying everything on the market to freshen my apartment nothing worked one time the manager of the complex gave me some used towels to put to the patio door/front door he stated to catch the water and keep from spreading. One day i saw a dark area in the corner by the patio door on the baseboard pulled back the carpet the ODOR unbearable the tact strip was softer than a sponge and black,padding soaked with black areas/ black areas under the carpet/ black areas around the baseboards. Called the Housing inspector said to pull up carpet in the other rooms as well,manager left the other carpets. Now, the problem is all around fuzz on furniture and under my bed all over plastic shoe rack and in shoes. Code Enforcement said they had to clean baseboards he saw the brownish fuzz on baseboards throughout the apartment said he could only handle exterior unless interior walls falling down/floors caving in etc. So he ordered the manager to clean baseboards then he would re-inspect. Manager sent his maintenance workers not certified nor licensed to treat mold/mildew sprayed some chemical on a spot in the ceiling near patio and applied AFTERSHOCK on the baseboards thru the apartment after I told them not to, it was done without my knowledge the manager said I had to leave out. Still as I write this lengthly letter the problem is getting worse. Throughout all this I’ve went to ER sinus stay closed/dry throat/coughing of thick dark phlegm/always clearing throat always fill like something in my throat that never come out/eye irritation with mucus/thinning of eye lashes/fatigue/weight loss/had upset stomach/trouble sleeping etc. manager had air quality test done, but I fell it was not a certified licensed contractor and said air quality was fine. Please advise me what can be done legally. P.S. apologize for the lengthly statement but needed to explain to the fullest the best I could,it goes on further that this tried to make it short. Thank you, for your patience and support in advising me as to the steps that can be taken in this matter legally.I fear for my health after doing a lot of research and had a certified license contractor for mold/mildew to evaluate the problem free of charge a courtesy call seen conditions and advised me that a swab test should be done there is mold/mildew but air quality and further test would show what kind of spours of mold/mildew and AFTERSHOCK would only cause spours to go airborne. Sheree on March 11th, 2013 - See more at: https://moldblogger.com/examples-of-mold-lawsuits/comment-page-15/#comment-141096 I’ve been residing in my apartment 4 years from day one there was a mold problem carpets would get saturated when it rained. Code Enforcement inspected and found Black Mold on tack strip, under the padding/carpet evidently this was an issue before I moved in. Code Enforcement gave a violation and all the carpets were to be replaced, but the manager did not replace the 2 bdrms. Eventually I started noticing Mold on baseboards,shoes,clothes, furniture etc. Code Enforcement came again, gave another violation to clean up the mold on the baseboards. While I was out of my home the manager put Aftershock on the ceiling and the baseboards; after my telling him not to cover up the problem he needed to solve the problem the re-inspection passed because you couldn’t see the Mold on the ceiling and baseboards, but they could see it on my furniture etc. then 2 floors above me was a small fire all the water came throw the air vents of that apartment above me which had a substantial amount water and down through my air vents along with the sprinkle system in each apartment. Carpets were saturated items damaged and now the mold is getting worse, due to the manager lying trying to blame me for the Mold buildup in my apartment because on a nice day I open my windows and patio door to let some fresh air in my home. From day one I’ve tried everything possible to freshen my home,but that mildew odor is still existing specially when it rains. Under new management now and their dragging stating that it’s expensive and they have to check the budget. I stay tired, sinus stay congested, sleepless nights, eyes blurry/ mucus, mouth/ throat dry, skin dry/itch, losing eyelashes, hair dry and breakage, headaches at times. If anyone has knowledge as to who can assist me in this matter please email me. Thank you so much for your help. Sheree on November 19th, 2013

BrianReeves April 30, 2014 - 8:52 pm

This article on Toxic Mold Litigation may help in your case, depending on what state you are in, specifically the section on landlord liability. I am forwarding your story to someone who often answers questions for us in our Q&A section, to get more information for you (you are welcome to post your story and questions there as well). If you do decide to file a claim, you will want as much documentation as you can...photos, medical records, etc. Is it possible for you to move? It sounds like the place is still toxic to your health.

Sheree Fisher May 1, 2014 - 11:45 am

Thank you for your assistance. I recide in the Carolina's the cost of moving can be a bit expensive, due to application fees and gas. Since the weather is changing it allows me to spend more time searching for a much better place to reside. I feel the owner of where I reside, should be held totally responsible for the cost of my relocating due to their neglect in the matter of the MOLD/ MILDEW. What steps can be taken in a suit against the owner for their knowledge of the MOLD/ MILDEW choosing to neglect which has affected my health? I appreciate any assistance you can offer. Thank you, Sheree Fisher

BrianReeves May 2, 2014 - 7:27 am

Here is the response I got from Jim Pearson, who often helps us answer in our Q&A section: Hello Sheree. This sounds like a clear case of negligence on the part of the building's owner/manager. At the very least, they should have known the correct steps or called in an expert. Mold grew on your contents because the spore load in the air was substantial. You have reported properly and have incurred significant expense and physical suffering. If you have sent written notice to the landlord (Certified) detailing all of the events, the impact on you, and what you expect them to do, you are in the driver's seat and should see a good attorney that is willing to help you. If not, please do so now because time is your enemy on expecting legal relief. It is ridiculous what some landlords do to save a buck. They all think they know how to deal with mold and most do not know the first thing about it and how it spreads. In the interim, you can help yourself by avoiding exposure and by staying as healthy as possible. Here are some ideas: Try to change to a healthy, detoxifying diet. Avoid sugar and wheat products (feeds mold in the body), drink carrot juice and use other anti-oxidants. Avoid exposure to chemicals with strong odors. Upgrade the furnace filter to a 3M Filtrete allergy type (if you have forced air heat). Get a large HEPA-filtered air cleaner (less than $200) and run it on high ALL the time. Use a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner for your floors and with a bristle attachment for everything else and keep vacuuming! Open windows (I know you already are) as much as possible (weather permitting). Finally, keep the place as dry as possible. I hope this helps you!

Sheree Fisher May 2, 2014 - 5:11 pm

Thank you so much Mr. Brian Reeves I greatly appreciate your assistance in this matter. You have been a great help. All the extra things you stated I can use to help such as changing diet etc., that may help and I appreciate you sharing this with me. I will take your advice and work on it immediately, and will inform you of the outcome.

Esther Pilgrim June 5, 2014 - 3:41 am

My daughter moved out from her apartment a little over a month before her lease was up because we finally realized it was the mold in her apartment- (around windows horribly) that had caused her to be sick for around six months with a chronic cough and intermittent flu like symptoms. She literally told me she thought she had cancer the night before we put it together. We have pictures that we plan to take to the civil court because she is being sued (of course). She put new furniture and bed to the curb and took a great loss financially because THAT is how seriously ill she was and contributed it to the mold. She did not have insurance so she does have but a couple doctor visits for the symptoms. However, she had brought it to the attention some months before, but they told her to turn fans on and leave door open after showering. ???? Are there any cases in MS where people have won this type civil suit that we can use. She is representing herself (as she cannot afford an attorney - and these bullies know this). There are also other reports and complaints of mold and illness by past residents on the internet of this same complex. Thank you in advance for any verbiage or ammunition you can give us as to fight with. Someone may die who is not as healthy.

kathy pirello June 10, 2014 - 3:07 pm

I bought a home last year through VA and it passed inspection, I just did a refinance on my home and had another inspection done. It passed no problem. A month ago I noticed my house was becoming un level. So I called a crawl space inspector to come and look in my crawl space. I was shocked at what he told me. I had 3 different crawl space inspectors come and give me bids to repair the problem. The lowest was 15,000.00 The highest 19,800.00, they all took extensive pictures, the damages are unbelievable, mold and mildew every where and do to this ALL my floor joices are rotted and split. I don't know where to turn. Every one in my house is getting sick, coughing sore throat, breathing problems, can you help. Thank you Kathy pirello

Steven Banker July 12, 2014 - 10:04 am

I have been living in a top-floor apartment unit for 3 years. We had a pretty serious rain storm and the next day my bedroom ceiling caved in and wet insulation was everywhere. The building has a flat roof and apparently the unit next to mine had their ceiling cave about 3 months earlier. The next day I got extremely ill. I was having a hard time breathing, was disoriented, had a strong metallic taste in my mouth. It was so bad that they noticed I was ill and made me go home from work. Being home, it immediately started getting worse. I went to the urgent care at my hospital and was told I had hemoptysis and chemical pneumonitis. I was given prednisone and an inhaler. I contacted my landlord who said it was no big deal and that he would fix it. I have been sleeping on my couch for 3 weeks now with my bedroom door closed. I tried going to work the next day and started to black out and dropped a 50 lb cutting blade on my leg that ripped through my pants and ripped an 8 inch gash in my shin and was sent home from work again. I missed 3 days of work. The ceiling is still not fixed. My landlord told me I have to move out because I haven't paid my rent because I can't go in my bedroom because of the exposed moldy insulation in the ceiling. I have missed work, incurred doctor/x-Ray and medication bills, have no place to sleep and my landlord wants his rent. I am at my wits end.

BrianReeves July 13, 2014 - 6:18 am

The important thing to do is get out of the mold-contaminated building. If there is someone you could stay with or a place you could move to I would leave as quickly as possible. Also, keep documentation of the mold (pictures, notification to landlord, etc) for your legal case. This article may be helpful: Toxic Mold Litigation – Who Is Legally Responsible And Do I Have A Case?

Jamila July 28, 2014 - 8:02 pm

Hi, I've been in my apt 2years. Upon moving in I was told I couldn't hook up washing machine due to leaking pipes. I didn't pay to much attention to that because I didn't own a washer anyway. During the summer my ac bRoke. The apartment repair men came out and realized the condensation line was leaking. Instead of replacing it they rerouted it. Now there is leaking fluid inside of my kItchen wall. I don't know if its water or Freon from the A.c. any who the walls are moldy. I've told the office for two years now that I'm moving in a week they say they are going to rEplace the wall. I've been in a mold filled house for two years and they refused to fix it. What should I do for having to live through this negligence that should have been Fixed years ago.

Bill August 11, 2014 - 10:52 am

I have been trying to get them to actual fix the black mold problem. A few years ago the 1st management company just painted over it. They also told us that if it comes back we will actual test it. One problem the management company is on third owner. We have been after them for months to fix this. We are in eviction for holding the rent but we blindsided the attorney but he did not care. While we were out they painted the ceiling again. we do have pictures of before and after. My wife and cat are in a whisper because of mold. Please help Bill

Angela August 22, 2014 - 1:09 pm

My husband and I and are 2 children moved into the home that we are living in 2008. We have had numerous health issues since we have lived there but it didn't become a concern to recently. However in August of 2008 my husband had a grand mal seizure and had never had any health issues a day in his life. It took years to stabilize his medication he was getting severe headaches and confusion before the first seizure I brought him to the ER and they thought he had a minor stroke mind the fact he was only 31. Since we have lived in this home we have had many mold issues due to a leaking roof and the water coming into the house and cause areas of the home to become moldy, such as bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedrooms. About six months or so I started getting really sick and having problems with bad migraines and vision and confusion, so I followed up with my primary doctor they then pursued further testing of MRI, sleep deprived EEG after seeing a neurologist they have determined that I am having seizures while I'm sleeping in due to the high waves of activity in my left temporal lobe. My health is progressively becoming worse and I have more issues then I can list. However, our landlords have never treated the mold and I contacted the board of health to address the issue to them. With that being said now my husband and I are epileptic when neither of us had any prior health issues. I am concerned for the safety of my children. Is there anything that can be done? Is there some type of testing that can determine if this is what causing this? It's ironic that my husband and I are both having these medical issues and my children constantly have ear infections, respiratory infections, and nosebleeds. Help!!!!!

Crystal September 24, 2014 - 8:51 pm

We rent a townhouse in California. There was a flood due to the supply line to the toilet breaking and flooded upstairs clear through the floor downstairs. Our landlord doesn't have home owners insurance and she wants to hire someone to fix it but the guy is not certified for water damage restoration. What are the laws for this and if we move because I feel it will not be safe for my kids to live here unless I am sure a reputable company has fixed the water damage properly can we go after her for fees to move. I also was injured trying to turn off the water main. I slipped on the wet stairs and tore my knee and sprained my wrist.! What is the best thing to do. If I move out and let them fix it improperly and then rent it to someone else who is unaware of the water damage I would feel responsible if anyone gets sick!

cassandra September 27, 2014 - 5:21 pm

me and my fiancé just moved into our first place its a 2 bedroom apartment and our maintenance also lives in the same building a few days ago the upstairs unit flooded into my bathroom n from that to the downstairs unit and his whole place flooded but anyways the part of my bathroom that got wet was behind my bathroom mirror and that's all drywall and I know that when drywall gets wet it gets moldy well the maintenance man said its not his problem and that he wont fix it and hes also threatening me saying hes gonna give me a 3 day notice because I want him to do his job! im also 6 months pregnant what should I do?

Jonathan October 10, 2014 - 1:06 am

Hello i have been working at a gentlemen's club for 9 months. I'm a very healthy person and for the past 3 months I've been getting sick , migraines, feeling dizzy, short of breath ,stomach aches from time to time, tingly and muscle aches.I even had to throw my clothes away because of the stench that smells in the air and it looked like mold on my pants. I've approached the managers and the owners about the smell and mildew that i have personally seem and smell but they told me to don't worry about it and spray airfreshner. I also dicovered black goo substance im the ice machine so i have decided to quit and not come back. I feel like my health has been scarred and til this day i have not been feeling like how i usto and my breathing has been bad ever since . Could i sue them for this?

Vanessa R November 11, 2014 - 8:18 am

I have had a leaking ceiling for the past almost 6 months. It went from on whole to now 5 dollar coin holes that seem to alternate. I have told my landlord several times. The maintenance man goes and plugs in a blower to dry it up which at one point was running for 3 days. He did this a second time a few weeks ago and I still have the blower in my storage room. What can I do? There is insulation above the leaks. How long does mold take to grow and how will that affect my children and I?

Michael Hodge November 23, 2014 - 2:57 pm

Hello, I am a Lanlord. My home is in TN but I live in GA. I've always made repairs within 12-24hrs of them being brought to my attention. Ive had a minor pipe burst before and a couple of toilet leaks that were all repaired the day of. In Jan 2014, my home flooded due to my tenants leaving the outside hose connected during freezing temperatures. This led to the entire 1st floor having to be reconstructed. When the tenants were told they had to leave the home and stay in a hotel for a few weeks due to potential health hazards, they flipped out! They were forced to leave by the reconstruction company (who started the process without my permission but by the authorization of my HOA). They ended up sending me a letter stating they would not be returning to the home. They were very angry as if it were my fault. Once again, they were at fault and i live in GA. I also haven't had a complaint in the 10yrs I've owned the home. Ok so I get a call from an attorney May 2014 questioned me about the experience, implying that 1 tenant was exposed to mold at some point. There was a very small patch of mold found during the reconstruction. But this was "inside the wall" which I would have never known about if the dry-wall was never cut out a foot high. My HOA Insurance has informed me that they dont cover mold. My State Farm does but they claim I still have the policy I had 10yrs ago when I lived in the home for a year, which conveniently isn't setup to include "renters." Her attorney sent a demand letter to my HOA Insurance company Nov 2014 asking for $14,000. I have the plumber, guy who actually did the reconstruction, water dry-out guy, previous tenants, and 2 other repair men who have all accessed the home multiple times willing to testify on my behalf. Does she have a case although I never received ANY notice of mold or potential mold? Doesn't one if not both of my insurance companies still have to represent me via an attorney although they denied the claim? Could I potentially counter-sue her for actually causing the flood, not handling the so called mold issue herself (lease states she's responsible for leaks and other plumbing repairs), and for the 7 months of rent she didn't pay by breaking the lease? Please advise. Thank you!!!

mike pollard January 6, 2015 - 1:05 pm

Help me about the mold issue my family is having .

sam January 28, 2015 - 5:39 pm

Last year I helped my daughter and grandson move into an apartment, The supplied AC unit leaked and the living room carpet was soaked for months. The landlord brushed us off so I called the property management company to report possible mold and they sent a carpet cleaner which didnt really solve anything. The apartment has a bad order. My grandson has a weaning cough and the doctors told him he is allergic to something. Does anyone know what I can do about this? Please help!!

krystle January 28, 2015 - 6:10 pm

Sam, this article on Toxic Mold Litigation may be helpful to you in evaluating your case. There is a section on landlord liability. Another good step is to look up the laws in your state regarding mold and the landlord's responsibility. I myself have been through a similar situation where I informed the landlord via a signed letter of the presence of mold, the health implications, and the state's laws regarding mold in rentals. In my case, the letter of the situation was motivation enough for the landlord to take action and remove the mold (make sure this is done in a manner that is safe for you and will remove the mold entirely). Hopefully you are able to get it resolved quickly! Keep us updated!

David February 6, 2015 - 2:51 pm

Taking a Lowes test? Really? How in the world do you think that's going to go over in court?

Nikki February 20, 2015 - 8:12 am

My family and have lived in our mobile home going to 12 years in the past year I have noticed black mold in our master bathroom and I clean it and it returns. Is the manufacture responsible for this or is anyone a fault?

Lewis kroll February 27, 2015 - 7:57 pm

My story comes from Bethlehem Georgia and the landlord a.k.a. slumlord that neglected to take care of mold issues at his "" rental property "" is Coleman barker. He owns Coleman Barker printing station in Bethlehem Georgia and also has a location in Norcross Georgia. I moved into his residence at 752 Clarence Edwards Road in Bethlehem, GA 30620 at the end of October of last year. Mr. Barker seem like a nice enough Ella and upon viewing the home with him it looked okay there was some what he referred to as remodeling projects currently underway on the back half of what he described as an addition that would be coming to an end and it would also at that point open up a few more square feet and an extra room for one of My girlfriend and mine for children who were also pretty eager and excited to move in to our new space and live life. It was not until a few months later when I expressed concern about what I found to be black mold through a friend who is a specialist in this area and from his test that he performed that we had a real issue on our hands. At this point the insurance company dropped the landlord off their policy because of the condition of the roof and the siding was in. Mr. Barker then turn to blame myself and family for the loss of insurance coverage. He then turned to refusing our rent and moving to evict us then claiming that he would take our money but we would still have to leave and then he just flat out refused Our rent and moved to obtain a writ of eviction which was answered by myself and we were given a court date. I saw some legal counsel who looked at the situation and told me that I have the right to intern refuse the rent and give it to a contractor or myself is qualified to perform the necessary repairs in order to make the structure livable. On the day we met in court my landlord one the ruling even after I presented photographs of the current condition of the living quarters and proof of the existence Black mold in the home. I was given seven days to leave with everything I own. On the last day my stuff was put out into the yard and on that first night that it was outside a lot of my stuff came up missing and upon my discovery my landlord was conveniently present and very quick to assure me that it had to be somebody that I knew that had stolen my things that he hadn't told anyone that my things were outside. He then said that I needed to hurry up and get my things and left. I have Read that my things were supposed to be placed by the road but also that I would have to be given seven days upon receipt of a certified piece of mail informing me that I had to get my things from the residence where he intern had to keep them in a safe and sheltered area free from wet additions. And after the seventh day where I was supposed to respond I still had seven days from that day to intern gather my things and leave. I lost everything that was outside and the amount of 30,000 Plus dollars and was told on the second day that I had until The end of that day, and then sundown, and then on the load that I was on. He played mind games with myself and my lovely girlfriend and we watched as our children's toys bicycles clothes furniture as a family pet died while this piece of shit basically taunted me almost as if he was trying to antagonize and provoke me to possibly hit him or in someway assault him in order to have me arrested. He smirked and laughed when he commented that the sheriff would be at the driveway waiting on my exit to stop and search me on the way out persisting that I was on drugs and needed help. This information we received from the perpetrator who had stolen my things which I would later find out. I lost almost everything that I've worked my entire life for and that my girlfriend has worked her entire life for and in this rough time in our life we are not financially able to afford a lawyer which I've been told would cost me $175 plus an hour to find justice. This is my last effort to try and fime somebody who can help us because it seems as if every door we come to it shut in her face and there is no help or justice for right anymore. I'm in tears right now writing this and hope that someone anyone will be able to direct me and help me to get my life back and my children's, girlfriends, and my own belongings back. We lost heirlooms, baby pictures and paraphernalia, and most of all we lost our personal space. I'm not asking for much just for what's right. Can anybody help me?

Syl March 4, 2015 - 2:37 pm

This first paragraph was written on 10/20/14 and emailed to Albuquerque Housing Authority: I rented an apartment on August 15, sight unseen because they did not have one to show me. I made the arrangements in mid July, when I went to the property and was shown a 2/2 apartment. I was told that the 2/1 apartments had a bathroom window. Due to the fact that I have emphysema, and cross ventilation is a good idea for my condition, I opted for a 2/1 instead. I spent a month calling to see if I could get a look, but they had nothing available to show me. On my move in date, I went to the office to set everything up and they wanted all the paperwork signed. I asked about seeing the apartment before signing the lease, because I still did not know what I was getting. They said they were in the middle of cleaning the carpets, so they would show me the apartment after signing the lease. As I had already made all the arrangements and had people loading my things, I went ahead and signed, but it didn’t make sense to me that in spite of knowing my move-in date for a month, they waited until THAT day to clean the carpets. When I asked about this the agent told me they had been really busy. The apartment was ok, but it had a mildew smell and she told me it was the carpet cleaning chemicals, which should go away within a few hours. Two weeks later I went to pay my first month’s rent and told them that the smell was still there and had actually gotten worse. They told me not to worry about it, they had just used too much liquid when they cleaned the carpet. I have now been there 2 months, and the smell has gotten worse. I am pretty sure it is mold. My biggest concern is that I have emphysema, and I am worried that this is going to be a big health problem for me. Is there any possibility that the property can take responsibility for moving me? They have already said no, but maybe they have some legal responsibility? I was told that if I move out I am breaking the lease, so would be responsible for paying the entire lease period. And, I was told that I could not change to another apartment until the lease is up. I was also told I would be held liable for the damages resulting from the mold. I don’t know how this is possible as the mold was there when I moved in, and I complained about the smell twice. On this date, October 17, they told me they would have someone come on Monday (10/20/14) at 10:00 a.m. to do a humidity test, then they would assess the damages that I was liable for. They explained that I would also be sued for all repairs made to the apartment, due to my negligence. And by the way, THERE WAS NO BATHROOM WINDOW, which was the only reason I decided on the smaller apartment. I took the morning of 10/20/14 off from work to be there for the humidity test, but no one showed up. I called the office twice but both calls went to voice mail. My aunt from Boston came to visit me for the first time on 10/19/14. She decided to stay at a hotel because she could not stand the smell. She was only here for 2 days, and we wasted her whole first day waiting for the maintenance people to come by. At that point, I called my renter’s insurance and asked if there was anything they could do about this. The agent told me that they had a specialist and he would talk to him and call me back the same day. I still have not heard from him. I also called a friend who has rental properties and asked if he knew of someone that could help, either with the mold testing or with tenant issues. He told me he has someone he works with that could help, and would talk to her and call me back with the name and number. He also advised me to get in touch with Albuquerque Housing Authority. I called ABQ Housing Auth but could not get past a phone menu. So I looked online and sent an e-mail to them. I received a failure to deliver notice, and found out that although there is an email address on the site, it does not accept emails. I printed out the email (which is the first paragraph above) and mailed it to AHA. I have not heard back from them yet. A week later, a new management company took over the apartments. I went to them and explained the problem, and WATCHED the manager write out a work order to do a humidity test. I was going out of town that week (October 28 – 31), and asked them to do it while I was gone. She said it would be done on Wednesday, 10/29/14). When I returned I went to the office to ask about the results, but no one knew anything about it. The work order did not exist, and they scheduled another appointment. I had to leave town for work, and asked them to please get it done during this time because I was worried that my health was in jeopardy. I also asked them to re-set my laundry room door, which has fallen off the hinges. When I returned, I found a work order on my kitchen counter for the laundry room door, but no humidity test. On February 1, 2015, something woke me up at 2:00 a.m., and I decided to get up and use the bathroom. When I turned on the bathroom light, the floor was covered with water, and there was a big bulge on the ceiling above my bathtub. As there is no emergency maintenance number, I waited until 10:00, then went to the office and asked them to send someone right away to check on it because I was worried the upstairs bathtub was going to fall through. A maintenance worker came at noon, looked at it, then went upstairs to see what had caused it. He came back and told me that it wasn’t anything to worry about. He said that the overflow valve in the upstairs tub empties onto the floor in between the two apartments. I asked about getting it fixed and he said oh, no – it was built that way, and assured me the bathtub would not fall through. Ok – 2 thought about this: 1 – NO! no body builds things that way. The bathtub and overflow are supposed to empty into a drain pipe. If that was the case, every downstairs apartment would flood every time someone used the upstairs bathtubs. 2 – Ah ha! That is where the mold is coming from – years of bathtub overflow going into the ceiling. I went to work the next day and mentioned what had happened to the production manager (he is the production manager for a HOME CONSTRUCTION COMPANY). He is also one of the people who helped me move into the apartment. He told me that the day we moved, his friend, who he invited to help us, stepped into the apartment and told him that that smell was not carpet cleaner, it was definitely mold. His friend KNOWS this because he is a maintenance supervisor for the company that rented the apartment to me. So far nothing has been done about the bathtub problem, nothing has been done about testing the mold, no one has contacted me from my insurance company, my friend with the rental properties, the apartment management, or Albuquerque Housing Auth. I have emphysema because 25 years ago I lived in a house that had mold. The mold causes a fungus infection on the lungs, and this fungus turns into granulation, which then starts creating little holes in the lungs. I have spent the last two years working with everything I can find to stop the progress of the emphysema, including diet, exercise, supplements, and my doctor’s visits. I am furious that I am now in a situation where time is being subtracted from my life, after all the work I have done to try to extend it. I spent all of my extra (and some borrowed) money moving into this apartment, including buying new furniture. I cannot afford another move, but need to get out of there. I also do not want to be held liable for a year of rent and damages that were already there when I moved in. I am 62 years old, and expected to have another 15 years or so. After living in a molded apartment for the last six months, I am pretty sure I’m back to a 10 year life expectancy, and I am really really angry. I have 2 doctors, one internal medicine and one pulmonologist, who can verify what I said about the cause of my emphysema, and can verify that this apartment is a death sentence for me. I also feel I was taken advantage of due to my age. Maybe they figured this was a good way to unload a problem apartment.

AnishaValdez April 1, 2015 - 1:03 pm

Hi Am Wondering is thier stutiue of limitations on mold cases I Came out in the Newspapper Sacbee in 2010 and My Doughter in anothier article black mold drappes from the cieling picture of me pointing to the wall also health ners julia soto sac be reporter to samples of mold black mold came back thier was a leake in in the back yard water heater not proper code enforcment mived us out put us in hotel lanlord gave us 5 days ti get out locked us out never gave us deposite thier my kids slept in the liveing room becouse the mold grew up from carpet we had pressure washed the house bleached the walls and painted in lease than 3 mounths it was black landlord replaced wall in ballroom becouse it was like mush my kids constantly at doctirs with all the financaill hard ship and a car accident that I was injured in took a while to get all my old documents togeather my oldest has asthma and I would apriciate some advice please

Justin April 18, 2015 - 3:48 am

I moved into my house a little over a year ago. there was a little mold in the garage and we put in the lease that the landlord would have it fixed within 3 months. we also reported roof problems. the roof has started leaking and the landlord is trying to sell the house. he had an inspection and it failed there is leaking hot water tanks on both sides causing the floor to rot. the roof is also leaking from vents that were installed improperly and now there is mold witnessed by the inspector. My son has also had a rash of stuffy/runny noses and coughs that i though were colds but now i think may be due to the mold. What can i do in this situation?

Sheryl April 19, 2015 - 6:17 pm

I've lived in the same basement apartment for 4 years now. The tenants in the house above me have caused such major leaks for years, that our little apartment down here has literally been soaked through so many times. My landlord JUST now bought a new toilet for upstairs. And, he also, JUST now re-did the pipes up there. He hasn't re-done any of the pipes down here in the basement and none of the damage from all these leaks has been taken care of. My ceiling looks like a puzzle with sporadic pieces laid all over (water spotting and stains). My walls in the kitchen, living room, and bathroom are covered in black mold. The last 3 of the 4 years have deteriorated my health. I work from home, as well, so I'm in the home 24 hours per day. I have severe fibromyalgia/endometriosis symptoms, terrible, horrible headaches, chronic fatigue, severe vision issues causing temporary blindness at times, mood swings w/aggression and depression, and more. How do I get formal toxic black mold testing at no charge to me? What legal rights do I have against my landlord? I'm 46 years old and reside in Georgia.

Concernedrenter May 19, 2015 - 8:40 am

I am renting an apartment where I signed a one year lease. The air conditioning unit is built into the wall and keeps filling up with what looks like black mold and has a strong mildew smell. We've asked the landlord several times to remove the unit but they refuse. All they keep doing is drilling holes in the back of it to unclog the mold so it will stop leaking water into the floor in the apartment. My daughter has asthma and her, my son, my husband, and I are having breathing problems due to the mold, I have told her this repeatedly yet she still won't remove it. We live in ga, is there any way we can break the lease without any penalties? I just want to move for my family's health.

Grace June 10, 2015 - 11:33 am

We moved into our new custom built house, no mold visible, no smell completely odorless . Mold was hidden behind the walls this was from faulty pipe work... after few months, of moving in a couple symptoms started with first itchy, stinging skin, itchy gritty, eyes few months later weight loss, dry heaves, dizziness, flu like feeling tremors shaking, blurred vision, nausea, weakness. light and sound and movement sensitivity this is barbecue the central nervous system is amped up. Before this I was a super active, young professional that traveled and had fun! Now I was so thin, weak, I wished for death, but it would not come I had to be wheeled in a wheel chair in the hospital because my wheezing was so intense . They could not figure out the cause, I no longer worked, nor drove I had to be driven by my spouse, We were blessed by God to be in good financial position it was very costly, experience. I saw 50 doctors over period of two years. My chiropractor referred me to genius MD/ND/Chinese Medicine doctor he tested me for Lyme for the 7th time! It was negative! Then the doctor said to me, " I believe you have Mycotoxins poisoning in other words mold poisoning" How is that possible? Well I got on the medication and ...three months I was in the guest room some water fell on my hand I freaked out black Mold was in the walls! My doctor told me 25% or people are allergic to it and the body does recognize as a toxin, and it keeps re poisoning you by recirculating that if I continued living there I would of died of heart attack. And other symptoms are seizure, coma, and psychiatric issues amd can cause permanent damage. Black mold is deadly even if your are not allergic to it it is still lowering your immunity, and my doctor, just says to my spouse it hasn't got you yet! So to me that means it is inevitable that it will make you sick. The doctor advice was to re mediate our house and sell it or burn it down and then take three feet of the dirt and dump it at the contaminated dump site , (Mycotoxins are killed at 500 degrees)And then build a new healthy house with a certified new green builder. This nightmare took four years of our life, It is when you start paying with your life that wakes you up.

Grace June 10, 2015 - 11:56 am

THE DOCTOR THAT IS A World foremost MOLD EXPERT IS DR SHOEMAKER, he has retired, but look up his website and find a doctor that studied under him and those doctors know how to treat black mold. I was lucky to find my doctor or I would of died. First, in order to get well you have to NO longer be exposed to the environment where the black mold is. Most people that are sensitized to mold cannot ever go back to the house even after remediation, My doctor told us to move out immediately, we went left our house and went to live in our condo. I washed our clothes with ammonia to kill mycotoxins, and threw away all cloth rugs and furniture, because it is contaminated. My doctor put me Cholestraymine,which I took three to four times a day, this binds, up the mycotoxins. I also took other binders such as pure broken cell powder chlorella, charcoal lots of saunas, zeolites, and total detox, I went on fungus free diet I'm a vegetarian so it was easy. Also another interesting fact is that EMF electromagnetic frequency can cause acceleration of growth of mold, in fact if your have parasites they detect the EMF waves and see it as an attack so they grow faster, multiply faster. So all of those lab tops, cell phone, and wireless stuff is not healthy for us. Eventually that will be old news, and we will go back to corded like we have in our house.

Daniel Hamrick Jr June 15, 2015 - 9:21 am

I have been fighting a landlord sense November of 2014 to take care of mold issues. At time of signing the lease the home owner on an extra piece of paper made us sign a letter not holding them responsible for any mold issues because it was an older home. Come to find out the people before us had the same problem we soon found out that we had it tested and it was Black Mold and not moisture mold and know why everyone was getting sick now. We asked the owner to take care of it and then found us being effected from the home. We have been drained by these people financially had have had to have all our window and doors open and my small children have been getting sick. I tried to get this on the News and got lost of positive feedback but yet have been interviewed. This is a crazy life and never knew anything about it tell this. Boise Idaho Danny Hamrick 208-340-2851 Facebook...Danny C Hamrick

Trisha Coombs June 18, 2015 - 2:47 pm

I just rented a house for my daughter andI and since we have been in the home we have constantly had water in the basement. I have done everything possible on my end to help dry it out. My landlord has made excuse after excuse about how they have never had this problem. They came and tried to use a spray sealer. What are my options here?

Xaviera Wu June 20, 2015 - 1:37 pm

I have toxic mold in my condo, was exposed for 8 years previously in a Toronto downtown condo. Board of directors refused to help, previous owners of the unit knew and did not disclose,spent hundreds of thousands on empty condo, renovations, clean air test, health IV's, etc. Need a good lawyer, I won already against Board of Directors in HRTO, human rights ontario

Xaviera Wu June 20, 2015 - 1:38 pm

Your comment is awaiting moderation. I have toxic mold in my condo, was exposed for 8 years previously in a Toronto downtown condo. Board of directors refused to help, previous owners of the unit knew and did not disclose,spent hundreds of thousands on empty condo, renovations, clean air test, health IV’s, etc. Need a good lawyer, I won already against Board of Directors in HRTO, human rights ontario

Pamela June 24, 2015 - 1:58 pm

would like some toxic mold suits in Canada or does it matter what country?

POrtiz June 25, 2015 - 8:52 am

I have a question I have mold on the ceiling in my wall of my bathroom, its not bad but you can tell its moldy i have told my landlord and they have told me its in their bathroom too and was never fixed, also we have found a dead rat in our yard also that was picked up later in the day I have 2 kids and a dog is there anything I can do we are late sometimes on rent and i dont know if they can try and make us leave?

amy July 26, 2015 - 1:30 pm

I work at a place that has excessive mold in their lights I work at a medical trays factory and I work in an closed room should I be working in there are there any legal action for me

freadine johnson August 12, 2015 - 12:54 pm

3 of us worked in a mold and mildew office 2 of us developed new adult onset asthma. I developed asthma and it exacerbated a previous respiratory condition. I have allergies to pollen,grassweed mix,hormendrum mold which causes asthma and can exacerbate a previous respiratory condition . This is stated by WHO and the CDC so why can not someone help me. I was not having any health issues until this exposure.

lukie August 21, 2015 - 7:28 am

would anyone no if same laws apply in canada regarding mold

Cynthia Baisden August 27, 2015 - 12:14 am

Please help I'm at my wits end I've rented a building for going on 19 years my previous landlord has died about 7 or so years ago now his daughter runs their realty business's there is black mold galore I'm now having a health issue every other month I get an awful cough with a runny nose chest pain scratchy throat runny eyes fatigue and aches and pains back soreness dizziness and tingle feelings hands and feet there is one bathroom I have keep a door closed for about 5-6 years it is the most awful sight you will ever see the other bathroom we try and keep clean but the ceiling is so deplorable she is truly gone Devils Advocate I cannot get her go repair anything the roof was flat until 2 years ago she finally had to put a roof over the original roof due to severe leaks I own a grooming shop at this address I have been in this business for 39 years I'am do scared of losing my business it is my Livelihood I have addressed this with this person for years to no avail she had threatened me to the point I'am hopeless for example she had said if I call the health department it wouldn't matter to her because if they condemned the building she would make just as much money by plowing it down and selling the lot !!???? Please help this is how I make my living I'am hard working honest and love what I do but his black mc is horrendous I do believe if you seen this in person you would be APPALLED!! Oh and the other kicker is she said Quote UnQuote I was responsible for all plumbing and electrical repairs is to why I haven't repaired the 1st bathroom mind you this is an d post office building from the 1950's and the plumber has told me they no longer have these toilets more less the parts to even repair it if I could even afford to repair it it is almost inhuman what she is doing Please Please Please Help I'am begging I'am at my Wits end the ceiling is so hideous I'am sorta ashamed of me going in like I have but like I said it is my lovely hood and I've put my life into building my business at his location I pay 825.00 monthly and she has repaired nothing due to the past leaks I know they will shut me down if I call the health Dept. please help

cristi September 4, 2015 - 6:23 am

I've lived where I am for a long time now, there has always been leaking issues in the ceilings. My sons room esp is what I am worried about. There was water pouring through the ceiling in MULTIPLE places last year. The landlords send someone to the above apartment somewhere to fix something, but the only think i got for his ceiling was a can of Kilz. From what I can see right now, a year later, the pieces of drywall, or whatever are making the ceiling, have a clear distinction on every border and one of them has become cracked and I can actually push that piece up and down. i feel like the ceiling is going to cave with more rain or snow melting on his ceiling as his room is on the side of the house and has a roof over it(we are on first floor)My question is, what are the odds that there is mold? My landlords don't care. My son has developed asthma along with some other health issues. They changed the rug last year (after sewerage damaged another room in my home, in which it took 2 months to actually fix it, and we lived here the whole time, with 3 young children, but I was a pest to the gentleman who came to change that rug and he finally came back and changed my sons. I saw black marks all over the wood underneath and the guy tried to put the rug right over it. I wouldnt allow it and told him he needed a product to rid of the mold stains, i believe it was mold armour. Its just on going and I need someone to tell me what to do.

Megan October 3, 2015 - 7:45 am

I am currently living in a condo. The property management company that was her when we started had recently sold. When the new company bought it the account only had $300. Every unit pays almost that amount to live here monthly in HOA fees. It entire bedroom ceiling is gone and we have obvious mold. They won't fix it because of their apparent lack of money. We have the children living here... Please help!

natalyes October 25, 2015 - 1:59 pm

I’ve been living in HUD apartment for over a year now, I’ve complained to the apartments numerous of times about the mold. Shell come and look and say “well I don’t see any holes or leakes so I don’t know where it is coming from”. I’ve showed her pictures of mold on my kids cloths, my shoes, on our furnice and on the vents. She says the vents are like that because of the moisture and it looks more like rust then mold. Witch is not true. My house reakes of a moldy sitting water smell. And I honestly don’t know what to do. I have a 19mth old who is constantly sick and we don’t know why, and my 2mth old has breathing problems witch she didn’t have in the hospital. Please help me figure out what I can do.

Becca November 5, 2015 - 8:48 am

Black Mold is appearing in my apartment I did some looking around in the rest of the apartment and it looks as if the just painted over it on the walls, vents, and floors what should I have a 3 year old son my husband and I never feel good neither does my son. I want to do something they can't just paint over mold and expect families to live here. There are spots on the floor where it is rotten and you can tell they painted over also they never come to fix anything you tell them about something they send you here and there then tell you they will write it up for maintenance no one ever comes.

Emily November 17, 2015 - 6:15 pm

yesterday, we got evicted from our house. Our landlord is taking us to court for the rent we owe. that's understandable. but, today we had a rain and our entire house was flooded. up to 4 in every where. I finally noticed the black mold on our kitchen window seal. my 4 month old daughter has been sick since birth, in and out of the drs office. her dr says its allergies and I cant help but think its due to the mold. seeing today what happened, I know it had to have happened in that house before when it rained. im upset my landlord didn't mention it, especially as I was 7 months pregnant when she showed me the house. next week when my daughter goes back to the dr to be put on a nebulizer, as he said was his plans if her allergies hasn't went away. im going to ask if it could have been from the mold. is there a lawsuit here?

Elizabeth Urias November 19, 2015 - 3:37 pm

I lived in a home where I constantly communicated with the landlord that there was surface mold in different areas of the home and water intrusion issues that needed to be fixed. I had four young children and was pregnant with my 5th. He kept sending the maintenance crew who said that they didn't know what to do. They painted over the mold. We got sick for months with flu like symptoms that we never got over. My kids would cough throughout the night. I ended up having no apetite and was severely depressed. At the end of a year the soap dish pulled off the wall revealing large amounts of mold in the wall cavity by the tub. I started researching mold and told the office about it. They came to look at it and scheduled to have both bathrooms torn out and replaced completely. The next day a "contractor" came to tell me everything was ok, that they were just going to replace the little 1x1 square in the shower stall. I told them I wanted a mold test done and he said it was getting done. I did my own and it returned with high levels of stachybotrus and asperilligus molds. Meanwhile the contractor started demolition and put up no barriers in my home. I continually told them they needed to tear out more and me and my 9 month pregnant self went from room to room showing them the mold that existed. I finally broke down after 2 weeks crying after the power to my fridge went out because of a problem with an overload on power. They came the next day and I didn't care anymore I just wanted them gone so I could have my baby. They left mold in an entire wall in the laundry room. I just shut the door. I was late delivering and my midwife ended up with pneumonia after visiting my home. Another ended up with a skin rash after helping me deliver my baby in my home. They did no clean up after the mold was torn out and put up no barriers while they were doing it. I took them to small claims for return on rent while the house was uninhabitable. They stated under oath that they knew nothing of mold and lied to the judge about me calling multiple times throughout the tenancy about it. I still ended up with a return on some of the rent I paid. But later on in talking to the prior owner of the property and a past tenant found that they knew that the property had mold ever since they purchased the home 10 years before and never disclosed to us in any way the presence of mold in the home. More than that they lied on the stand about it. I need to know how to go about making it easier for others to get help with mold issues. I called everyone, Fair Housing, code enforcement, city, public health, each one kept redirecting me to the other. Where does a renter go for help about this problem. I had to move because they filed an unlawful detainer on me and gave false references about my rentability to every person who called checking my references. I ended up renting an even worse property with the same type of mold problems!!! I need to know how a mom who wants to be a good parent and protect her kids would go about finding a home without mold to live in. Is there something that filing a lawsuit could do to help?

Christina Embry December 13, 2015 - 3:36 pm

I am a mother who lives in HUD government assistance apt who goes to school full time and can't stay in my apt which is full of mold I can't take any of my stuff where am staying with a boy friend who has CGD my son breathing machine was ruined and I seem to get the run around when ask Attorney to help me and contacted many agency like HUD in KY, Washington, Frankfort the capital of KY franklin HEALth department to Bowling greens Chamber of covers to the city hall code enforcer to section 8 to home land to a lot and I can't get anyone to take me serious and I getting advice say I banned my apt when didn't I just can't be in with the conditions it in bc mold everywhere and they only painted over some spots not addressing the issue of it and through their towel they wiped off my wall into my clothes I need help with this situation

Baybish December 15, 2015 - 2:49 pm

Its this old building i live in, i have been trying to get out by help of a group called H>O>P>E But nothing...I been here 5 years...about 2 and half years ago the constant itching and ears popping my feet and legs swelling so bad and so painful. about a year and a half ago new owners came..They began remodeling..all the paneling and everything they took out in 5 gallon buckets and put the buckets in a sealed black trailer with no windows and hauled it off bit by bit...when they began their rentovation all kinds of stuff was flying around in my room...cant dust it up it comes right back.. I can feel myself getting sicker and sicker...the doctors act like they dont see it..I coughed so hard one day...i begann hurting in back and chest...really bad...i thought it was a heart attack...Got to the ER... I had broken a rib coughing so hard...then when i followed up with My doctor all of a sudden... they tries to tell me no one said i broke my ribs...Its crazy

tameka billups January 9, 2016 - 9:29 am

i only been in my place a moth on jan 7 2016 i had a leak from my toilet i fell 3x reported it to the landlord he sunt a mantieance man out weeks later the job still wasnt done cause he had to replace the whole toilet then i had a molded refridegrator that didnt work that was included in my lease didnt get a refridegrator til 3weeks after i reported but then i had bought 200 dollars worth of food that spoil because the lack of the landlord it didnt get replace i still dont have a stove what to do

cla2090 January 12, 2016 - 9:30 pm

Pay at the courthouse-they hold the rent until the landlord fixes the problem. File complaint with the health department if there are dangerous conditions, You can file a suit for damages and rent return in small claims court, they will give you the proper business name for your landlord/owner. This is key-make them look it up for you so you file against the correct entity. Otherwise you'll lose..

cla2090 January 12, 2016 - 9:32 pm

Baybish, you need a really good immunologist/allergist. A doctor that handles both.

cla2090 January 12, 2016 - 9:40 pm

Elizabeth Urias, see me other posts. Pay your rent at the courthouse once you have notified your landlord/property owner in writing by certified letter, taken pictures, filed your complaint to the health department in writing with pictures attached. They want your money but won't be able to evict you during this time if you are paying at the courthouse. They can not get it until the issues are resolved.

redtkn January 25, 2016 - 12:47 pm

I have a home that used to be great until a roofing company created a nightmare . They did not properly tarp or vent my roof. They did not use ice and water shields and the flashing were placed so that the water went into my wallls rather than away from them. I had water pour through my cam lighting . It soaked the floor and the contractor said oh its fine it will just dry out. I have visible mold on my wooden trim, walls and carpet. Long story short this mess now involves 3 insurance companies and it is exhausting

kati February 4, 2016 - 6:57 am

I live in the low income apartment in Tonopah , NV. My three small children and I moved in to these apartment in July. We had to move to Nevada for a child custody matter and my hot water has leaked the whole time I've lived here. They maintenance people have had to redo the apartment below me and they have work on the hot water heater several times. My children have been continuously sick since we moved in. The turned my water off last night and went home without even telling me. I furious!!!

Bianca February 5, 2016 - 3:10 pm

I have lived in my home for 18 months. My landlord is very slow at making needed rapirs. For example, my bathroom floor literally had a hole in front of the toilet where you could see the dirt under the house. It took him over three months to have it fixed and hired someone who wasnt even licensed who did a horrible job and needs replacing again. Thats the least of my concerns right now. I am three months pregnant and have been sick for the last two going on three weeks. ER told me i had pharyngitis. I took my antibiotics and Tylenol for a week and was fine for two days until i cant breathe through my nose and my throat hurts so bad ive even lost my voice off and on throughout the day. Two days after i was diagnosed with pharyngitis i discovered mold on my side of the room on the walls closest to carpets then alllll my windows in my house have mold in the frames and tracks of the windows. My landlord tells me to spray and clean it with bleach. THATS IT. Can i contact my HUD worker and have a health specialist come out to inspect the mold growth and if its harmful.

Mar February 11, 2016 - 10:41 pm

I am interest to know my right as a renter with a house taken over by mold. Do they just kick you out. I don't have a first and last plus down payment. I've been here 5 years. A couple thins we have pointed out to owner. Our bedroom, the wall behind our bed is very cold and gets damp when it rains. I had to replace a lot of really nice furniture because they were on the floor and fell apart or just completely unusable. It was all mold. We have green mold, black mold, and green plants in the wall. Our bathroom would be completely back if we didn't clean it with bleach every other day. My husband had to replace the shower floor because it fell apart. In the show, it broke and we fell. Small but just enough to slip and fall. The wall had to be replaced in a spot because it came through it. The flooring is always wet or damp. Some of it is coming up with more mold under. Family room, I thought it would be safe so I had some nice furniture and didn't put plastic under it. The wall doesn't hit an inside wall so I thought I was ok. Nope.....all furniture ruin and replaced, this time with plastic under. Guest bathroom. Yes discussing also...I'm always bleach bleach bleach. It get so black around edge of room By family room, there is a skylight. You can actually see plaint bubble because of rain. About half is fallen on us already. We have to put a bucket because it leaks in 4 spots. Right by my couch. I don't know much of mold but this entire house could literally fall if there was a really big rain. It's everywhere. I have miscarried three times, my daughter has sever asthma, and my husband has a percent cuff but he won't go to doctor. I don't want to be left out in the rain until I save up enough to find another home. I'm on social security so I'm on a very tight budget Any ideas are welcome.

Gail Franson March 25, 2016 - 6:59 pm

My family and I are on housing assistance. We live in an apartment complex owned by the housing authority. We noticed mold in a upper corner of a bedroom below the upper apartment by the bathroom. Apparently, they had a water leak. I contacted the manager who send the maintenance person to paint over. We have had lots of dust, we dust weekly, since. Also, mold on around the windows in bedrooms, which we use bleach which doesn't remove completely. Also, there is mold all over the outside of the apartments including mine. The apartment across the way has mold so bad above their door. Management hasn't removed the mold on the outside of building. I believe the management has only painted over mold inside apartments. What can I do? I have complained to housing authority. All I get is you need to complain to manager's supervisor. Haven't been able to get ahold of the supervisor. Have left many phone messages with no reply. We even sent a letter without a response. HELP????

ronnie April 9, 2016 - 5:58 am

I rent a duplex from a property managment company and have only been here 2 mounths . I had a water leak from the ac system due to a clogged drain . Alot of drywall got soaked only a few inches around the bottom of my daughters room because the ac is located behind her closet . The person i deal with from the management company is acting as if it is not a big deal . He came by 3 days after i called him . I had to use a wet vac to clean the water up myself . He came cut a hole in my daughters closet unclogged the drain left the hole told me to let it dry out and he would some guys over to patch the hole up . Its been almost two weeks now he still has not been back and i can clearly see spots of black mold in side the hole he cut out on the drywall . Any suggestion .

Fran Gorycki April 22, 2016 - 5:37 pm

I'm currently ill from my home. We've been here since 2001 and the 1st month we moved in I was extremely sick. I never knew the cause. I got better, or so I thought and moved on. Over the years I became more illl and I crashed Completely 2 years ago. I just now realized I have mold lurking in my basement, a faulty Hvac system. Ductwork is a mess. My basement was finished improperly with paneling and plastic behind it. Not allowing it to breathe. I am literally in the process of a major remediation. Removing all contents from my home while my health is suffering. I'm genetically mold susceptible carrying Hla-dr gene mutations. I need a lawyer to take my case either against my homeowners or all the docs that left me to die. My own research and the fact that I'm a Scientist helped me uncover the cause of my illness.

Tj April 26, 2016 - 11:26 pm

I bought a house in May 2015. The home had been empty for sometime and some investors had purchased the home. My realtor came to me and I looked at the home and it had a new roof. While the home had been sitting someone had stolen the a/c system and had stolen he copper wiring. The house had been completely rewired . We looked at the home and knew that we would have to buy A/C unit . We were told the reason that they were selling this home was because they had more than they could handle of there investments and needed to free some money. The house had 40 acres that went with it. So we paid cash for the house and have invested every dime we had! We now find out that we have toxic mold and I have been in the hospitol numerous times on life support no less because I couldn't breath! Had to call the ambulance 4 times in 2 weeks! I am severly I'll now and on our disclosure they never disclosed that it had mold. Not to mention that we found out that the previous owner who was a doctor killed himself in the home! Now I don't know what to do! No money and no place to go! HELP PLEASE! DEPERATE IN TEXAS!!!!!

Frank May 4, 2016 - 6:58 am

I work for the government in a mold infested building. I had black mold growing on the walls in my office and they found it inside the walls as well. I have become very ill from it (after thing it was something else), got tested by an ENT and he said my illness was being caused by the mold as I am highly allergic. He even sent a letter to them saying this and that my condition would worsen if I was not removed from the building and the mold remediated. I asked management over and over for testing, even offered to pay for it myself. Refused every time until I complained to OSHA. Of course they lied to OSHA in their response and OSHA has finally come out and conducted an onsite inspection and verified they were lied to. I filed a claim with OWCP and of course they denied it. I sent them pictures of the mold, medical records and a letter from a physician saying it was the mold that is the cause of my illness and they say I did not provide enough proof. So I pay close to 8,000 a year for doctors, tests and meds, have chronic sinus and respiratory infections, multiple digestive issues and abdominal pain, short of breathe with little exertion and starting to have pain and numbness in my arms, legs, hands and feet. The worst part is, our government, my employer will spend millions illegally hunting down turtle eggs on the beach to hatch in incubators, but not a dime to fix this building, nor pay for my medical bills. If anyone knows a lawyer not afraid to take on the government and take my workers comp case, please let me know.

Lisa May 10, 2016 - 3:19 pm

I recently discovered black mold on an inside closet wall. Also the base boards had green mold. Along the hall wall and in a smaller bedroom. The maintenance men came out clean the wall and painted over all of it. How can i know if it was taken care of properly? And how doni get them to fix the furnace that was leaking that cause the water damage causing the mold. I have a 3 year old who for the last 8 months has had at least 6 ear infections. And myself that has had about 4 sinus infections, strep throat and infecetes glands.

Tia May 12, 2016 - 10:53 am

I lived in a rented apartment for 8 years the first 4 my family wasn't home a lot due to work, school, my daughters school functions, and military obligations. However that slowed and when our family started staying home more our health problems started getting worse. In 2011 we noticed mold growing on the ceiling of our daughters bedroom, there was a leaky jacuzzi tub over top of our place. We notified the landlord and he assured us that the paint he was using to paint over it would fix it. However in 2013 it came back once again he painted over it, then again in 2015 he did the same thing. Meanwhile our health problems and bills were becoming astronomical, it wasn't until 4 days before we were moving out I noticed a wet spot in the same place and two days later the ceiling cracked and I was able to see inside the ceiling which was black all the way back. I took a sample and had it sent off to be tested and sure enough it came back as black mold ( not the medical term). We are now in the process of getting testing done to find out if black mold has been causing all of our health issues. Every symptom we have are the same symptoms as toxic black mold. My doctor thankfully listens to me and has ordered the blood tests to find out if we have been exposed. And if it is we can start treatment for toxic black mold. Which I have no doubt that this is what's been causing all of mine and my families health problems , it would be easier for me to tell you the syptoms I haven't had compared to the ones I have had. My only question is, shouldn't our landlord be held responsible for this especially since we in formed him several times and solution it fix it was just to paint over it. Should he be held liable, since according to renter rights its up to the landlord to ensure his tenants have a safe habital place to live, and if so what should my next steps be. In not trying to get rich, I'm trying to get my medical bills taken care of and receive proper medical treatment which can be costly. My family has lost a lost due to constantly being sick. Also before moving into this residence my family was very healthy. Im just looking for someone to point me in the right direction, if you could help that would greatly be appreciated. Thank you and have a nice day.

Christina May 21, 2016 - 4:31 pm

I rented a condo on 10/15/2015 when I signed the lease the owner said oh I have to replace the atrium windows it is an entire wall of windows I wasnt happy but I had paid him..After I moved in I started feeling sick stomach issues chronic fatigue headaches breathing issues spitting up blood my husband & son also had allergy like symptoms..I am on SSDI disability & they both work so I was home all day..The contractor was supposed to fix the windows before Christmas but never called or came..On 12/30 i went to my GI doctor & he told me to go to the ER when I went the did a cat scan of my stomach & chest xray and told me I had PVD (clogged arteries in my stomach) and COPD I never had breathing issues before I moved in there I had smoked but quit 5 years ago..To get to my condo there were 40 stairs if I had breathing issues I would not have moved there..In February the contractor came by and said he was coming that Thursday he never came and called Friday & said he had to order the windows (BS)..It had rained a lot so the underneath drywall started caving in and being that I had been sick since I moved there I decided to have a piece of the drywall checked for mold..It came back positive for stachybotrys black mold I then sent my landlord & the Homeowners Association certified letters telling him that he had black mold in the condo & I was not paying him another dime and looking to move out he sent me an email back not even addressing the mold but said it was fine it I moved..I contacted my renters insurance to put in a claim as I was not sure if my belongings were infected and if I needed a hotel to stay in & they came & said it was pre-existing and they didnt cover it I also called the building dept and found out the owner had no "certificate of occupancy" and had 2 permits he never paid for I was furious as it was an illegal dwelling if he would have gotten the CO it would never had been given because of the windows & probable mold..I then called the heath dept & an inspector came and while she was there the owner had a guy come to clean the dryer vent well it wasnt even hooked up to the outside so it was a fire hazard not to mention all the moisture the lady took note of that too..I then got an email from the owner 4/5 telling me the rent was late & I owed him an additional 5% and if I didnt pay I would be evicted I wrote him back telling him once again that he had toxic mold i finally moved out on 4/23 a month after I found out about the mold it cost me over $5000.00 and I have about $1000.00 in co-pays for procedures done on me I had a bronchoscopy & am seeing an infectious disease doctor and still feel like crap..The landlord refuses to give me my security back unless I sign a document saying I will not sue him above what his insurance pays..I never threatened to sue him but he is a medical malpractice lawyer..He doesnt know that I know he has no CO and the health dept is backed up & has not sent him a letter yet..I have to take him to small claims court as he is holding $2300.00 of my security I am so pissed off and sick and wonder if the furniture I moved here is contaminated..At this point I am going to see a lawyer as he should never had rented that condo till those windows were fixed..It is horrible what people think they can get away with doing I am so upset & still seeing doctors I dont think I will ever recover...Any comments are appreciated

Kelly h June 8, 2016 - 7:07 pm

I am currently renting a 1 bedroom apartments not Davidson county in Tennessee with the lease in its ending month. Upstairs our neighbor had a water tank burst causing water damage over the course of three days. Maintenance respondEd to the initial call within 2 hours, and we had towels and bowls down to catch water. It took them two weeks with me being at the office nearly every day to send someone out to "fix" the damage and by that time mold has taken. The agreement was that a wall would be opened to determine how bad damage was and proceed from there. The contractor painted over most things (not even finishing his half ass job, of which I've been told he has been harshly dealt with). We were offered an extremely sub par rental in its place. Even right now I swear I can smell it. Do my boyfriend and I have a case should we decide to go to small claims? Should we pursue a lawyer? I'm at wits end with this.

Kendall June 11, 2016 - 11:13 pm

Hello friends, This is Kendall and I have a site from the "HUD" house ing for financial help if you are in a moldly home , sick, can't work , depressed, sad , pissed off no one is listening, can't even find a friggen Dr. To listen to you , and all the while the world keeps going and all of a sudden your priorities get all mixed up. Yes it is much easier in the short run to stay in denial and hope it all goes away, but that is not going to happen.... Trying to come to terms with what your actually dealing with is probably the hardest part of this journey we have all found ourself on. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT!! Literally it is screaming and if you don't get out of there it's going to kill you! Yes kill you. I don't care how healthy you think you are. Nothing but organ failure and dis- ease cells are being re- grown in your body and the acid and the ph balence and your brain and skin and moods and everything you know is going on is..... I'm so sorry for your loss and mine . I'm replying to Christina's blog: yes your house and every single thing in it is contaminated ... Meaning you cannot bring one thing with you when you leave. And that should be asap. I can say this because I had to do it. It's not worth your life. Once you get into another place you will start to feel better. It's takes about a month or so to really see of feel the damage done. Educate yourself, find a lawyer.... YES YOU ME AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS A CASE HERE. If you documented everything took pics emails any proof in your favor. I went to 40 lawyers none of which would even consider my case. But I finally found a great law firm in Tustin, ca. Who took my case. We r now going to trial. PEOPLE CANNOT GET AWAY WITH NEGLIGENCE !! Trust yourself and don't listen to no or your crazy or just drink some water... Bs!!! This is your life!!! I will leave the website FYI. GOD BLESS US ALL AND STAY STRONG AND EDUCATED . Never give up. There is help out there.... https://www.hudexchange.info/

Robert July 16, 2016 - 3:45 am

I live in Government Housing Senior own and operated by Dekalb County in Atlanta Georgia, We found out we have black mold growing up the wall in the Air Conditioner closet, I do not know how long I've been living with it but I now know that I am I need a lawyer too help I also have found out that other apartments also have the problem these are on different floors of the complex, mind you these apartments are 55 and older so a majority of residents are at risk....How do I get help

michael maxie August 16, 2016 - 11:22 am

i michael maxie been expose to blackmold,and mildew while being incarcerated over two (2) years that cause me breathing problem,and coughing

Aziz September 3, 2016 - 10:03 am

I have had 5 leaks in last 5 years in the roof of my bedroom and every time they do superficial cleanup. My 5th leak occurred a couple of weeks and as usual they took a long time to do cleanup, so I replaced the carpet myself. and noticed a mold growth. so I hired a company to do an in house inspection who collected Air Samples and did Lab Analysis. Results show very high mold growth. I informed the landlord and he did superficial cleaning without doing anything about Air Quality and correcting the problem about leakage. I have suffered health consequences and did not know that mold was the source. What is my recourse.

Shaun September 5, 2016 - 10:51 am

I am the Manager of a Motel and I am forced to live on property. The property has a 3 pipe boiler system for its heating and air. This system is very old and depends on water to heat and cool the rooms. It has water leaks all over the place and condensation. All 97 rooms have mold that is caked around the vents That I have told corp. about several times. They have sent out mold people to test the property and they found VERY elevated amounts of mold that is both on the walls/vents and in the air. My apartment has 4 vents in it and all of them are covered in mold and though we have cleaned it several times, corp. has yet to do anything to try and fix it. I have lived here for 3 years now and my wife has asthma. I have found myself forgetting a lot of things lately. I have pictures and test results of the property mold test.

Kathy Lawrence September 9, 2016 - 6:11 pm

hi there, i have lived in my house for 3 yrs now, I have been very sick and aches and pains my son ...has lost 40 lbs and looks really ill ...well the ceiling in his old room came down and its full of black mold ,, they put new siding on our house and windows 2 yrs ago my husband told them to replace the roof before anything. him being in construction for 22 yrs .. they said the roof was fine ... and ignored him ... well with the ceiling wide open now ... were even more exposed to black mold, we have no other place to go .... my lung infections over the years i've blamed everything but black mold, not knowing what was growing through out our home ... who do i contact :( I'm seriously concerned about our health and well being ... we can't just up and leave we have no place to go with the 5 of us and our pets ..

MeAsha Vick September 10, 2016 - 9:33 pm

Hello i have recently moved into an apartment complex and there is mold in the sink lots of mold and rust. I am allergic to mold and i have told them that and it has been a month or better and it has still not been repaired. What can i do at this point?

Shawn September 20, 2016 - 6:33 pm

I've been living in this Apartment complex for almost two years, I recently noticed black mold in the closet that houses the heater unit , I never go in there, the property manager usually goes in there to change or check anything. My son and I have experienced severe headache and nausea . Could this be the result of breathing that air in. And what should we do next.

Nelson Mac September 29, 2016 - 8:50 am

Good day everybody my name is Nelson Mac few years back i was financially strained i rushed to my bank to apply for a loan to start up my business but i was denied by my bank because of my credit score and they could not help me and due to my desperation i was scammed by several online lenders who promised to help me but at the end i was scam i lost my money and my hope because i was so frustrated, One day when i was going through the internet again i found one lender call Mr Larry Scott i thought to give it a try one more time to my biggest surprise he was able to lend me a secure loan totally the amount of $200,0000 for the first time in my life i realize that there are few lender who don't scam people his name is Mr Larry Scott i will advice any body that are in need of loan to contact him with his Email (scottlarry816@gmail.com) he can be able to help you because he was a God sent to me this year and i will never forget him for the help he render to me. God bless him Nelson Mac

Joshua L Bell December 8, 2016 - 7:53 am

Myself and my significant other have been living in our home for since July this year. A company owns our property that we rent from, and they have a maintenance company that comes and fixes things for them when we ask. Our front closet has had a leak in it since we moved in, we have contacted the maintenance company several times and they have came and "covered" the mold in the closet and attempted to fix the leak on the roof (and failed). So we still have a leaky roof into our front closet and mold is still growing in our front closet... We can't use the closet because of the smell. The last trip a man came and sprayed some stuff on the mold, wiped it off, then proceeded to paint over the area. What do I do? I don't own the home, and it looks as if they are just trying to cover up what looks like a very big deal. Please Help.

Allan Foglio December 11, 2016 - 5:50 am

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Vincent Wilson Jr January 2, 2017 - 3:44 pm

Frigidaire window air conditioners with Styrofoam walls 4 in my home have black mold inside try to clean them with bleach did not work what can I do about this oniy had a year and a half

Robin Beasley January 3, 2017 - 3:13 am

Our neighbor's house, which is only about 10ft from my mothers bedroom wall is in the process of being condemned for black mold. The people who own the house, 72 and 94 respectively, ended up with pneumonia and nearly died trying to get the contractor to fix the problem. He took his case all the way to the Attorney General's office and they blew him off just like his own insurance company. The problem is we live so close together in this community the we practically sit on each other's laps. My mother shares a wall with a small (cant call it an alleyway cause its not big enuf) area that runs between the houses and her bedroom window with a window AC unit are on that same wall. She has been smelling raw sewage smells for over a month and she has been living with sinus problems and headaches. Could she possibly be getting exposure from the neighbors house? If so, how do we get some kind of restitution for whatever it's going to cost to fix the issue? I mean do we need to sell too???? His insurance company is refusing to pay out and they won't even take his calls anymore. Of course our insurance company is telling us to go after his insurance company but they have basically decided to ignore the situ. If can give a lot more info if you need it. Any advice is appreciated. My mom is 70 and I really don't want the neighbor's black mold issue to cause my mother to die of pneumonia.

Olivia Jackson January 10, 2017 - 1:45 am

This article is very informative, I completely agree with you, I think having beautiful rooftop makes anything much more beautiful and attractive, I appreciate you for sharing

Sneezy February 20, 2017 - 8:48 pm

Here's the timeline of our nightmare: less than 6 months after moving into our apartment with our INFANT, mold creeped up on the drywall in bedroom closet. We called management immediately, pulled up carpet, and saw water damage under carpet. Maintenance bleached the wall and told us they sealed the exterior wall with concrete. We continuously request new carpet, and we complain constantly of mold smell and allergies symptoms. 8 months later, during rainy season, the same wall leaks, saturating carpet. Management allows us to move our things into a unit in a separate building, but mold appears on the wall in the temporary unit, "newly remodeled'" they tell is. Meanwhile, mngmnt tears out original unit's drywall and insulation, lower section of leaky bedroom wall and does a band-aid fix, completely ineffective, on exterior wall, Management moves us into a hotel. Meanwhile, our neighbor start to notice mold and high moisture in their units that share the leaky exterior wall. We have all had severe respiratory symptoms and allergies for a year or more, entire duration of our tenancies.

Patty Hayes March 3, 2017 - 8:37 am

On Feb 12 my husband and I rented a small home. The next day I began my first asthma flare-up in years. A few days later we discovered black mold coveted up by new linoleum in the bathroom. When we rented moth balls were everywhere. I did have to go to the er for my asthma. After less than a week we are now racking up hotel bills as we have no where else to go. I understand our mattress is no good now as well. Thankfully we did not move in living room furniture as my husband had to work that weekend. Can we recoop our costs?

Brady April 5, 2017 - 2:01 pm

Alright so this I am staying in a townhouse with my girlfriend, her brother and her sister in law. Around November we noticed mold on the window sills and in one of the closets upstairs. We emailed the clerical worker/landlord for the complex. She sent the maintence worker over and he just wiped it down with Tilex and left. Mold came back and over the next couple months this process happened again. We asked in Feburary for the mold to be tested because we got suspicious. They never acknowledged it. We asked again at the end of Feburary and they sent someone to test it and test the air quality. The results came and we had to be evacuated. They put 2 of us up in a hotel for the process, and told us that they would reimburse for rent for the previous month and current month, they would reimburse for bills, groceries, and gas. They gave us a timeline of 1 week u til we could move back in. 1 week became one full month. They are now denying that they will pay for what they promised like gas, bills, and groceries. They have made comments that we should feel free to break our lease if we feel like it. They clearly don't want us around. We are going to try to go through the owner of the complex next, but if they deny us too, should we take legal actions?

Diane April 20, 2017 - 7:22 pm

Hi There, I recently bought a house from a bank in small town in NY state. I just found that there is a lot of black mold under the floor and also under the roof. There was a flooding, leaking roof for a while, the bank did do some renovations but they never disclosed that there was a black mold, so what is the best for me to do now? Can I sue the bank?

Kim Pirelli April 28, 2017 - 12:27 pm

It will be three years this May that I've been living in the New Bedford Housing Authority, I have had several feces floods coming through my kitchen sink, flooding my cabinets inner and outer interior as well as my kitchen floors, the water has also come through the ceiling light. My caller also gets flooded with the waste during these insidents. The stench never fully goes away. I just recently noticed puddles of water appearing on my kitchen sink beside my microwave the whole area smells like wet dirty laundry, confused I searched for what was causing this problem, I noticed little bubbles on one side of the wall during this inspection I also noticed that my cabinets were soft and they look as though they are diteriating with several different colors black , green and grayish white. I called Housing and told them about the water, they sent a worker and I mentioned that there might be mold and showed him, he said he didn't know anything about that kind of stuff, but he was there to fix the water leaking problem. Since I moved in here I've had troubles breathing, every time I'm in the kitchen I get shortness of breath. I kept telling my son that thought there might be a gas leak, now I found out I have COPD and I never smoked. My cellar continues to have a rotten fowl stench, please help what should I do.

NANCY BAYLEY June 14, 2017 - 4:08 pm

I purchased a BOB O PEDIC mattress 5 years ago. I went to move it last week and discovered the whole underneith was full of black mold. I started getting migraines a year and a half ago for no apparent reason. The many doctors I saw came up with no reason for the headaches. I was asked at the time about any enviromental problems in my home. I was out of work for 3 months, had a dozen tests went to drs in NYC. Ive been receiving Botox injections every 3 moths to help. Mean while i was sleeping on a mold mattress. Bobs said sorry not their problem. After searching the web I found many of the same complaints. I'm searching for a attorney to handle my case. I want to put a end to them saying not our problem and to take responsibility for their defects.....

nana adams August 13, 2017 - 7:45 am

Kathy Johnson if you get this I want to talk to you my husbands very ill. Looked for u on Facebook.

Rebecca September 21, 2017 - 2:57 pm

We live in southern California (Riverside county), and it really doesn't rain much. We purchased a mobile home four years ago; after a couple of years, leaks developed where there's an addition. We tried three times to fix it, but when it would eventually rain again, one leak persisted (where the addition meets the original roof). A year ago, we hired a roofing/repair company who gave us a 100% lifetime guarantee of the repair for cash payment (in writing). After the work was done and it rained, it leaked again in the same place (corner). In the last year, the company has been out four times, maybe five, to fix the roof. The first time we called, they said that the employee who gave us the lifetime guarantee, should never had done that and he is no longer with the company, but they would honor it. The 2nd or 3rd time they fixed the roof, the master bedroom started to leak, along with the original spot. The repair person painted the master bedroom ceiling, without putting any drop cloth on the furniture and now there is paint on our veneer furniture.... and then he went up on the roof again; but then it rained again and now it was leaking in the dining room near the master bedroom and it still leaked in the addition area; plus, water pulled in the master bedroom ceiling, causing a stain again. We have tried to get the roofing company out for the last 8 months and they keep telling us that they will but they don't. Fifteen days ago, however, we sent a certified demand letter and they finally sent someone out who said that he knows "exactly" what it needs - flashing (that's what the first guy said). Now, I need to add a couple of things. The last time they were out (before today), my 74 year old husband who is a recovering back surgery patient that was not successful, helped the repair man they sent to remove an area of the roof the man thought was causing the problem and then put in new wood and tiles. It was very hard on my husband. My husband wanted the roof repaired and so he helped the man since another rain storm was coming. Two months ago, a panel outside the home that is part of the addition and where the rain runs off of the section where it's been leaking, separated from the main home and is black with mold. My husband sits in this addition area most of the day every day, and in June he started being very ill. He was diagnosed yesterday with Myasthenia Gravis, and the doctor was very surprised of how advanced it is since he only started getting sick in June. We asked her if mold could have caused this and she is very positive that toxins could have. Could the roofing company be responsible for this? When we told them today that we were worried that there's mold, they replied that what is most important is to fix the roof and then it can be checked for mold. I don't know how to proceed in order to protect ourselves. We do not have a high income, I am the one who works outside the home. Do you have any recommendations? Is there an agency that can check for mold? When should it be checked for mold? Should we contact our insurance agent? I actually think we did but they told my husband to contact the roofer. Do we have a case to go to an attorney? Thank you

krystle September 21, 2017 - 4:57 pm

Hi Rebecca. I'm sorry to hear of all the issues you've had with leaks and the roofing repair company. I'd definitely get your home checked for mold by a local mold remediation company. Here is an article that may be be helpful on whether you have a legal mold case: https://moldblogger.com/toxic-mold-litigation-who-is-legally-responsible-and-do-i-have-a-case/. Be sure to document as much as you can for an attorney and/or insurance.

Rebecca September 21, 2017 - 5:35 pm

Thank you so much for your quick reply. Will do

Casie October 13, 2017 - 3:54 pm

My husband, 2 year old daughter and I live in an apartment in Georgia. We live on the 1st level and on May 14th, 2017 a water leak caused from an upstairs apartment caused water damage on the ceilings/walls and carpet in my daughters closet/bedroom and hallway. It took maintenance over 24 hours to come out and they simply pulled the carpet back in her bedroom and dried the floor with a fan, relaid the same carpet and painted over the walls roughly a week later. I suspected mold would grow but management assured me they repaired the damages correctly. July 30th, 2017 we had the same situation but in our patio closet where the hot water heater is. I reported it and they came the next day and sprayed bleach and have yet to make any other treatments or repairs. The mold is visible and also growing back on the walls from the 1st leak. I have called and stopped in office and they always reassure me maintenance will fix the issue by the end of the next week which never happened. after 5 months of non-stop Upper Respiratory infections/Bronchitis/Sinus Infections and ear infections with my daughter, myself and my husband I called the property manager again. They advised me they would come a specific day but when I got home no repairs were made. They assured me they would come out by the end of the next week again. I decided to hire a certified mold inspector to test for black mold which came back positive. It cost $443 for the test, non to mention 50 hours of sick leave I had to use from the illnesses along with hundreds of dollars in multiple doctor visits. As soon as I told the property manager my apartment was positive for black mold she advised me I could end my lease with no penalty which I did. She has not offered to reimburse for the mold test either. I feel I should be compensated for the out of pocket expenses, lost wages at work, treatment of our furniture and personally I feel we should be reimbursed for the rent paid while being exposed to the mold as a result of improper repairs and neglect to a serious mold issue. Any advice on what I should/can do would be greatly appreciated! We have financially struggled with the situation and are now being forced to move in with family to get back on our feet.

Courtney Daniel December 2, 2017 - 11:40 am

Hi, My roommate and I live on the oregon coast. She has 2 small children with sensitivity to harsh chemicals, She herself is asthmatic, and I am immune deficient. Our manufactured mobile home leaks during the rainy seasons and causes mold. The landlady's answer is to spray with bleach and call it good. Not only does this not remove the mold, but it causes health problems for the entire house. We have requested that she not use harsh chemicals in our home while we are there. She has Rufused to honor our request, or put us up in a room while this is being done. Is there anything we can do? Thank you

Rachel Walker April 2, 2018 - 7:15 am

Not even a month ago I purchased a trailer in Waterloo Iowa. After I moved in I started to notice that there was some mold in the bathroom on the ceilings in on the floor so I had the floor gutted and new flooring put in. But then I started to notice that the windows in each room have had water and there is water that comes through the back door. Two weeks into The home I had noticed under the kitchen sink that they had a band dated the leak that was there before and placed it with a new piece of wood but didn’t take out the old ended up finding out there is a lot of black mold underneath of this then I also noticed a space where there was a dishwasher and when I unscrewed it to see what was behind this wood it was nothing but black mold. Me and my children have been here and my daughter is disabled and I’m really concerned that we are getting sick from all this. Legally I wouldn’t think that you could sell the trailer that has Black mold. Not only that but I have also noticed that there are a lot of mice or rats and a lot of rat feces. What can I do what should I do and where do I start because I am really starting to worry that I have put my money into something that I’m going to have to walk away with nothing. I’m a single mom of two children and I’m not sure what to do and I have no money to hire an attorney can you help me?

Lauren Hoffman April 14, 2018 - 9:14 am

My husband and I are leasing a house in Mississippi and at the time did not know that there were foundation problems causing water to leak out of the concrete slab in our garage when it rains causing water to flood the garage floor . After many calls to our landlord to fix the leak, nothing was done. After seeing black slimy area along with musty smell, we had a air quality indpection done which fould black mold. Do we have any leagal grounds against our landlord?

matt May 17, 2018 - 7:29 am

my 70 yr old mother just returned from a trip to Florida. She stayed with a friend who has a timeshare there. Although she did not get pictures of the mold blowing out of the AC vent. she said it was all over her clothes that were laying out. It took her a couple days to figure out where it was coming from. 3 days after here return home she has lost her voice and her throat is very sore. She went to the doctor and was given prednizone and they told her she had bronchitis. I know it had to come from the mold as she is very healthy normally and her house stays clean. Can one take legal action against the time share company for Black mold sickness? I have a friend who is an engineer in the resort business in CO. and he was saying the just mentioning "black mold" was a bad idea.

thewife May 23, 2018 - 10:09 am

Matt, we're so sorry to read about the mold troubles your mother encountered during what should have been a relaxing stay in Florida. The fact that your mother is in her 70s makes her even more vulnerable to mold, as well. This is a tough situation because 1. No photographs were taken, 2. No complaint about mold was made to the owners during the stay, 3. She currently has no access to the timeshare for photographs or sampling, 4. The doctor's conclusion neither confirms nor denies mold--nor "black mold" specifically--being the catalyst to "bronchitis." Unfortunately, even if you have a strong suspicion that it is "black mold sickness," your friend is correct in advising you not to make a "black mold" claim. I want to make it very clear that we--at MoldBlogger--are not experts in the workings of the law and that any advice we give you must be compared to official legal advice given to you by a law professional with formal education. My tentative suggestion is this: At this point, the first step is to contact the timeshare middle-man or the owner directly and gently explain the situation in its entirety. Make it plainly known that you know a great deal about mold and that you are very concerned about future tenants. Explain kindly that your mother is now suffering because of the exposure and that it is imperative to her health that the HVAC system (or A/C unit) be tested for mold. If they seem hesitant, remind them that your mother's doctor needs evidence of mold before being able to treat her properly and that her age is a major indication of how important it is to test for mold immediately. Gauge very carefully their reaction. You may also want to consider sending a formal letter in regards to this (instead of a phone call) and possibly having it notarized (make a copy of the letter afterward), as well. You could include your mother's personal testimony in the letter and have her sign it, too. When you mail the letter, pay for "signature confirmation." That way, with the notary and signature confirmation, you will have evidence that you brought this issue to their attention. Basically, your goal is to have the unit tested for mold. That's all. Make no threats. Make no claims that cannot be supported by evidence right now. Avoid emotional stances and displays. If they refuse, THEN legal action can be taken against them. But, even if it reaches that point, that legal action must be on the foundation that the unit needs to be tested for mold--not an outright legal suit for damages. We highly encourage you to contact a law firm that specializes in such matters and receive their advice. They will know significantly more and can tell you whether or not the suggestion(s) I've made here are a good choice. Your next step is to be certain your mother follows an anti-fungal protocol immediately. MoldBlogger has several articles regarding anti-fungal diets and other remedies. You may find that one article on this site refers to "yeast," but understand that fighting mold and yeast requires the same protocol. In addition, please be sure your mother's clothing and other fabrics in her home are washed in anti-microbial soaps. We have some articles on fungus-killing detergents. You do not want the mold that landed on her clothing to take root in her home. Remember that mold can lie dormant until conditions are perfect for growth, so please be sure to wash her clothes with the correct detergents (even if they've been through a few washes already). We wish you the very best and hope very much that your mother gets well. The processes by which you attempt to rectify this situation could be a great help to others who were subjected to mold in similar scenarios. If you can, please update us and the readers of any changes in your situation or your mother's health. All the best, MB.

Cassandra July 1, 2018 - 5:49 pm

OMG!!!! There needs to be a "reply" or "comment" for each story. I'm dying here. Unfortunately, I have been fighting this battle for years- finally awaiting on County to go after the City. I moved into a condemned house and am being harassed so BAD- while homeless, terminally ill, unemployed (worked from home) in heat advisories, tornadoes... PLEASE locate me- CONTACT ME!!!! We are going to get Federal Laws going here. I know exactly what most of you could/should do. The reason insurance issues is the cap is $5000 period. Medical and Legal help is pretty much null and void. I will make a difference before I take my last breath. It is time... UNITED WE STAND Message me on Facebook- wait- no- email me at irocbeauty@gmail.com so can start gathering stories, signatures and assist SO MANY of you as I have dealt with EVERY possible area for this and have been working with the EPA and DNR- And YES!!! You have a case whether you purchased or rent. In all 50 states, this is a Breach of Warranty of Habitability.... BUT you HAVE to have it all in writing people NOT phone calls. This is out of control and time to do something. And yes... my name is Cassie Ganier with geese as cover photo for now

Dot December 27, 2018 - 11:14 pm

There was a leak from a toilet flange in the condo we rent. The renters mentioned it to the person we had overseeing the property (we live out of state). That person had a handyman open the area up to dry out and the flange fixed. We are now having a professional company go in, test, clear and finish up the area. We will receive certification when the work is finished. The renters, who had no complaints about the work until we put the condo up for sale, suddenly started expressing all sorts of worries about exposure to black mold and are demanding the results and so forth. They originally made a very low offer on the condo and stated they were willing to buy it as-is without work on the mold. They did not follow through with seeking funding, so we moved forward with selling the condo. They then said they would seek funding but later said they could not pull together enough money. So we proceeded to accept another offer and give them notice. Now, they daily ask for all results pertaining to the area that has the mold. We had asbestos testing of the drywall in that area done first and have provided them with the results that indicate there is no asbestos. Now the work for the mold is beginning. We will not have the results until the end. They are putting on quite a show of alarm and concern about having lived with mold. I believe they are planning to sue us. It is one, very small spot in the condo, and they had no problem about it before we decided to sell. They were very emotional when they were given notice. At one point the man started carrying on about "protecting his home." We had our agent work to help them qualify so they could buy the condo and not have to move, but they didn't trust him and sought their own funding sources. Throughout they have been angry and just plain weird. We are elderly and need the money from the sale of the condo for medical related help including assisted care. For years, we kept the rent lower than the other condos in their building and area. Yet, they are furious with us. They seemed to have never planned for the eventuality that the condo would be sold. Do they have a case against us?

Bill July 31, 2019 - 8:44 am

Great article!

Phil B August 16, 2019 - 12:40 pm

January 2016 I rented a house in Sun City Arizona. I pointed out to the owner ON DAY ONE of water damage in the master bedroom bath. He said he would replace the vanity which had the most damage. Then I had a very high water bill for one person. Months later he sent a handyman out who found nothing. March 2019 he finally got around to replacing the vanity while raising my rent! We found black mold. Service Master came out and found the mold had spread over the doorways and down the hall. The owner and the tech started “exchanging words” as the owner did not want to spend money. The Service Master tech told me I needed to get out of the house. The owners insurance adjuster said get out of the house and finally after taking a mold test my doctor told me that every mold was in my body. I didn’t get out fast enough. My kidneys shutdown. I woke up 5 days later in the ICU of the local hospital. I lost my memory. A friend had to tell me that I was moving from the house. I didn’t remember the house. I didn’t know where I worked. The doctors asked me questions daily so I was told. My 5th day the hospital took a chest X-ray. They sent me home with “hospital pneumonia”. I found out that from the 6th day on I had a zero deductible. They got me out only to come back from this pneumonia almost killing me. (I only have 70% lung capacity). The hospital also hit a nerve with one of the many tubes and IVs that were attached to me. I lost the use of my had. That lead to surgery to move a nerve in my elbow. I can now use my hand but it feels like I’ve been sitting on my hand. It’s always asleep. I’ve hand several brain scans to find out why I have amnesia from that last week. I still don’t remember moving! I also lost 55lbs through all of this. I am finally returning to work this week after 5 months. I have given over 20 lawyers this info and not one wants to help me. Meanwhile my copays are piling up. All of my things are in a storage room. I tested the room and my furniture has black mold too. I’ve lost everything. I still may have frontotemporal Dementia. That is fatal. I have nothing left. Homeless with no money. Something seems very wrong. No lawyer, even the lawyer who specializes in these cases will even tell me why I can’t sue this slumlord. Even if I die.

Justin Bennett September 1, 2019 - 8:26 pm

Do you have a newsletter? If so, do you send out blog posts like these to your list? I would be interested in signing up if you do.

RAVEN DAY October 9, 2019 - 11:02 am

WELL I BEE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT IN KY FOR 8 MONTHS NOW AND I CANT GET ANYTHING FIXED THEY SAY THEY HAVE MY ORDERS PUT IN THEN ON TOP OF THE I HAD WATER LEAKING FROM THE UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS APT. TO MY BATHROOM IT CREATED MOLD SO NOW IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE I BELIEVE ITS ALL AROUND MY HOME MY KID HAVE BEEN GETTING SICK I HAVE BEEN MISSING WORK AND ON THE VERGE OF LOSING MY JOB PLEASE HELP I BEEN TOLD TO TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT .. I REACHED OUT TO KY HOUSING , NUISANCE OFFICER .. EVERYONE I CAN THINK OF ... IM NOT SURE OF ALL OF WHAT I CAN INCLUDE IN THIS CLAIM.. PLEASE HELP

EZ Mold Inspections January 2, 2020 - 12:20 pm

It's important to have a professional mold testing performed from an independent, third party company with no conflict of interest. The company you hire should have YOUR best interest in mind. Make sure you hire someone with proper training and experience. Otherwise, the lab data is meaningless. In addition, the lab report is only one part of the story. The visual, on-site mold inspection is the essential part of the investigation to make sense of the lab data. The lab data only shows you what the samples contain. The on-site inspection is where the inspector pieces all the clues together about whether there's a mold problem. Important Notes: 1) AVOID "free" mold inspections from remediation companies because they have a financial incentive to "find" mold. If you have remediation performed, remember to hire an independent, third party mold testing company to make sure the problem and cleanup are completely fixed. Trust but verify! 2) AVOID home mold testing kits because they are unreliable (confirmed by Consumer Reports). Did you know that the agar in the test kit has an expiration date? Yes, the agar can dry up! Also, it's been found that some of the test kits already have mold! Look up Consumer Reports article about mold test kits and find out for yourself. And you'll need a control sample to send to the lab to properly and scientifically investigate the mold issue (especially important if you're going into litigation). So make sure you hire an independent, third party mold testing company with proper training. Otherwise, your "evidence" will be thrown out of court as unreliable. Unreliable = waste of money. Don't waste your money. Do it right the first time!

Mary February 15, 2020 - 10:23 pm

I suffered from asthma like symptoms for 9 years. I was so sick, I ask God, "Why don't you just let me die!" On the advice of my brother, who was shocked how smart my son was at such a young age, he said I should move to a better school district to give him a better education. The next day I went house hunting. Surprisingly, all of my symptoms and illnesses completely stopped when I moved. Come to find out, it was mold in the back of the building where I lived. Then the company that I work for, decided to move to another building. During the first week after moving in, I started to get short winded. We've been here six years and the doctor put me on steroids just so I can breath. This building is old and full of mold inside the walls which we found. Our contract in the building is coming up soon and the company put out a notice and ask if there were any issues with the building before they renew the contract. Well I wrote a long detailed letter why they shouldn't renew the contract and also security reason's. Thankfully they listened, and we will be moving to a newer building soon.

John LANG March 30, 2020 - 6:11 am

I've recently rented an apartment I just found out kitchen had caught fire last Dec 2019. I rented mid feb and found out threw previous tenants about the fire. I later inspected kitchen and found smoke soot on cabinets under stove and microwave as well as smoke soot that was never cleaned off light cover in kitchen. My guest bathroom has a leak that mold is growing from. I took picture and cleaned and reported to front office. I have a 4 month pregnant wife and want these resolves asap tp not cause harm to my wife or baby. They came and did a poor job on leak in bathroom which is still leaking and growing mold again. kitchen cabinets where promise to be changed after 2 weeks and a month and half later still nothing. Now they say they are only changing faces not entire cabinets. There is smoke soot on bottom of cabinets and I have picture of everything. Is this legal with a pregnant woman in apartment to take the chance of her getting sick and or the baby? I need help please.

Linda H October 29, 2020 - 9:43 am

Has anyone gotten any help with those mold issues? 62yrs old, have rented an apt. for over 5yrs, within the last year, I have noticed that people are not staying in these apts. I was told by neighbors who knew people who rented an apt. here, moved because the landlord won't do anything to address or help with the mold issue. That same neighbor took me 4 doors down to show me how bad the mold was in that apt. I have come to realize being in communication with these landlords and realtors they will find any way they can to redirect the attention to another issue like you have been late on your rent, in 5yrs maybe five times. I've had always paid my rent, even with this mold issue, the hole in my roof that has leaked for months. The mold in the kitchen under the sink, in the upper bathroom. They kind of fixed the roof, although it was still kind of leaking, proceeded to text me that once it rains again we will get in there and fix that eyesore on the ceiling-It is a piece of the wood hammer over the hole in my bedroom, which still had some leaking out of the side of it. I had to move my mattress out of the bedroom because of the leaking, I have not been able to sleep in my bed since the end of February the first part of March 2020. I have been my best to keep the mold at bay, using essential oils to clean on a regular basis, which I did subtract from the total of rent. I have a feeling this issue is not going to be addressed. I have been practicing and showing others the benefits of practicing tai chi for arthritis (senior adult day facilities, along with friends) (currently certified) for about 6yrs, and have noticed my balance slipping which is odd to me, beings that tai chi is for your balance, getting headaches which I have never had a problem with, and I wear glasses. Some could say its age, but I know it is not. I think my best bet, which I am afraid the realtor and the landlord are going to do what they can to dismiss my claim and then get an eviction going on me. I do not have the money to move, I have lost my job, which due to COVID, and I been on unemployment since July 16th, 2020 with no medical insurance now. I have been running up my credit card to get by with only needed utilities, car payment, ins. What really sucks the most is, I love my apartment, it was really not taken care of by the last renter, so I painted from top to bottom took months (I got a month to rent off and the painting supplies) I filled holes, cocked around windows, and doors, put the wood to keep air out in front windows. There is not one place that I have not cleaned, painted, and filled in this 1300 square two story, two bedroom apt. Please advise? I love my apt.

Michael March 20, 2021 - 10:22 am

"A group in California was awarded $1.3 million for claims against contractors that performed work so poorly it caused leaks and allowed mold to enter their homes." This is actually crazy! Cant believe some of these so-called "contractors"

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