NORTHERN EXPOSURE:
MOULD
NIGHTMARE!
Tues. Aug. 3, 2004
I am living with a tent in my kitchen and no resolution in site.
I own a condo unit I purchased brand new in 2004.
The problem started with a leak, January 28th of this year from a drain pipe in
the bulk-head above my kitchen belonging to the unit above me which goes down
through my wall.
The property management refused to fix it saying they were too busy and let it
continue to leak into my unit damaging the hardwood floors, cabinet, countertops
and internal walls. Finally 3 weeks later the pipe cracked apart and poured
water into my unit and the unit below mine. Finally they sent a plumber to fix
it.
By this time mould had already started forming and I found out from the girl
below me that she has had a mould problem for the last three years from other
pre-existent leaks that would have had to run through my walls as well to get to
her unit below.
The property management sent in two dry wall guys from a decorating company to
patch things up and asked them if there was anyway to seal the mould in the
walls. When they said no I insisted that a professional mould person deal with
the situation not a decorating company.
I got three quotes for them and finally five months later they agreed to a mould
remediation and hired there own specialists.
The specialists they hired started work June 9. They kept finding more and more
mould and the condo board had to keep approving more and more work along the
way. A job that should have taken less than week turned into a month long
project because the board kept stalling on the approvals.
Finally July 6th the board met with me to say they were not finishing the job
because it is too expensive. They asked me if I’m not happy why don’t I sell it.
A real estate agent tells me I must disclose the fact that the condo has mould
and says that the unit is not really sellable in this condition.
The people who own the tent and equipment and are doing the remediation are
refusing to remove the tent while the job remains unfinished. They say it is not
safe to remove at this time and that they are a reputable firm and therefore do
not want to remove it while it is unsafe.
The board wants to send their own guys in to remove the tent and put the kitchen
back together even though the environmental tests are still showing
contamination so with the advice of my lawyer I have refused to let them in to
do that.
I want the mould people to be able to finish the job and feel otherwise it would
be a danger to my health and others in the building. They don’t know exactly how
far the mould has spread through out the structure of the building.
I’ve had a lawyer who has written a few letters for me to no avail and another
lawyer quoted me $400 an hour.
I’m a single girl trying to make her mortgage and I really don’t know what to do
at this point. I’ve been to the newspapers and still nothing.
I’m eating on paper plates and washing my cutlery in the bathroom as I have no
kitchen now. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars eating out.
There is no heat or air
conditioning in the unit. It is all sealed off due to the mould remediation
process. I’m asthmatic and having a hard time breathing with no air circulating
in the unit.
I don’t know what to do. The stress of dealing with this for 6 months is making
me sick. I am taking medication now for stomach problems and other problems
exist which are more personal.
Sincerely,
Single mould girl
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