mold

[snailmama]

we just moved into a new apartment 7 weeks ago
we discovered black mold growing on the carpet, the hardwood floor, and on our organic futon which was on wood slats and was just purchaced in november.
our landlord wants to remove the mold with a sander and stain the floor tomorrow
meanwhile what do we do?
our bed is ruined
she wont replace it
our house is a mess
there is mold everywhere
my son has been exposed to mold
hospitalized for a respitory infection
the health department was at our house and says there is nothing they can do
what should we do?

[taz925]

Get a lawyer. Mold is very bad and your futon is now garbage so you have losses. Not to mention your child got sick. Did you get apartment insurance? Maybe they can help?

Doreen

[snailmama]

we have no rental insurance and not enough $ for a lawyer

[Annalisasmom]

I moved from an apartment that was filled with mold... our landlord would do nothing about it at all... it was growing all over everthing. the building inspector came out and said he couldn't see where it was coming from and wasn't allowed to get into the walls! We quickly moved out of there... We had NO help from the city, insurance, nothing

I'm sorry you are going thru this too

[memory maker]

You might check over at home and body care. Someone there might know how to help with mold

[Mom4tot]

I have heard of this happening and the landlords taking no responsibility without some pressure.

Do you know anyone who knows/ works with an attorney who would write a letter for you? It is amazing what a letter can do, and some attorneys provide free consultations.

Does your local TV news have a "Call for Action" reporter? You could call and see if they are willing to do a story? Even the local paper.

Mold is very serious and I would urge you to deal with the landlord about your losses while you look for a new place to live. It will not go away without finding its' source.

[mammastar2]

Is there any kind of a rental housing tribunal in your area? If there is, you may be able to apply to them for help - breaking the lease (if that is an issue), payment for the damage, rent abatement. Or there's small claims court, you don't need a lawyer for that. You could take photos, get a letter from your son's dr, try that.

Do try to get out as soon as possible - I know it's hard moving again so soon (we just broke a lease for maintenance reasons, including mold that was impacting health - but we had the threat of going to the tribunal to back us up), but mold is a big deal. I don't know about the sanding solution your landlord is offering - check it out, I suppose, but mold can be very hard to deal with.

[brookely ash]

WOW! We just found mold in our house too. Both my kids are sick right now. Could you tell me the symptoms that your son has? I am sooo worried about this.

thanks so much

as for your situation, I have no idea how to go about this, but good luck. I haven't gotten a call back from our land lord yet.

[Meiri]

Sanding the floors does nothing. The mold spores will be kicked into the air even more than they are now. It's not just on the surface.

What kind of freaking health department is in your state? They can and do condemn houses for things like this.

If the health dept won't do their job, I second the suggestion to go to the local news. Shame them all. Also do a search on Legal Aid. Some areas have this kind of service where attorneys volunteer time to provide Pro Bono help to those who cannot afford a lawyer. There are also lawyers who take cases on contingency (not sure what the correct term is for when they take the case and their payment is part of the settlement).

[brookely ash]

So, what is your status on the mold? Is your ds better? I hope things are getting better for you.

I am still very curious what the symptoms of his repitory illness are. WE hve mold in our home

thanks.