My fiancé who has been living with me since January of 2008 was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The day after her diagnosis we were told we needed to evacuate our home because of the presence of harmful mold throughout the house. I had brain surgery in 2002 and have suffered frequent epileptic seizures ever since. There seems to be no hope of selling the house, even if I was to shoot for a short sale, so leaving will mean foreclosing. The reason I am writing is not to share another real estate nightmare, but to try to get justice from a company who has demonstrated blatant negligence and irresponsibility.
My home was built in 2000. In September of 2008, water intrusion in the living room became evident. The cause turned out to be a roof leak, caused by sheathing that was installed incorrectly. Repairs included rebuilding of a large section of the front wall of the house. Mold was found in the wall cavities, and required containment and remediation.
The builders of the home agreed to fix the problem. After 3 months the roof was repaired. The work necessitated the removal of carpet which revealed further leaks at the rear of the house. A large window was replaced, and the rear wall was torn apart and repaired. That went on for about 2 months before yet another leak was found in the dining area. The water intrusion resulted in much more stachybotrys mold than anything we had seen before.
Throughout the months that the builder was working on the house there had been a number of discussions and arguments regarding proper and safe mold remediation. Our differences were extreme. To give you an idea, had I not argued I believe they would not have contained the contaminated areas at all. I was repeatedly told that mold was harmless and nothing to be concerned about. Containment of the initial roof leak was a bit tricky, as the wall is over 20 feet high. The containment was never close to spore-tight. Other containments had doors that were left open all the time while the works went inside and out, with no anti chambers to prevent mold spores from escaping.
I am an epileptic (brain surgery for an AVM in 2002) and my seizures had increased tremendously during these months. Finally, in January of 2009, with no end in sight, and no feeling of comfort that the house was safe to live in, I hired an attorney. It is a year and a half later and there is still no resolution. I have a 12’ x 2’ cutout in the kitchen wall that has been there for a well over a year, that was inspected and said to have all kinds of problems (dry rot, faulty construction, etc).
One inspector’s report, a thorough analysis of the various construction problems with this house, estimates cost of repairs to exceed $250,000. Over 60 home owners in the neighborhood are brining legal actions against the builder, all having to do with water intrusion and construction defects. These homes were built quickly and at the expense of safety and quality, but perhaps just as bad, the builder’s way of dealing with homeowners is appalling.
My 12 year old son also lives with me. I’ve had to keep him out of the house for the past 2 weeks. I am desperately trying to find a rental in the immediate area as the school is down the block and due to seizures, my driver’s license was taken away 7 years ago.
Any help you can offer would be most appreciated.
Read Next Complaint >>
