MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — When the Race Path Community Center reopened in a larger building in early 2018, the non-profit had a positive outlook on expanding its reach in the neighborhood. The community center is led by the Phoenix Renaissance Inc. non-profit and acquired the new building from Horry County for $5 after the two previous buildings were damaged by water and mold.
However, now just as the non-profit has plans to expand after school and summer programs for the more than 40 kids they mentor, that same foe has returned from the ground up according to center leaders.
“The Lord blessed us with this nice building and taxpayer dollars went in it and we want to take care of it,” said Rev. William Gause the non-profit’s president.
Gause discovered the problem walking through the building and finding a spot in the flooring that was damp. His previous experience in the past two buildings led him to immediately get experts in to look underneath the building.
“We have a lot of dampness underneath the building that has come from groundwater that came up into the flooring,” said Gause.
That dampness has led to some mold as well, however, Gause says it’s not dangerous for the kids and staff because of where the mold is. He’s worried that if left unchecked, it could be the same results as the previous centers.
Race Path Center seeking donations (Andrew James/WPDE)
“If we have to lose this building it’s going to affect not only the staff but the community,” said Novien Gore who has a child in the after school program.
Gore’s kid has also been a part of the center before the new building and she sees first hand how it impacts kids and parents.
“I don’t have to second guess if my child is okay. I know that when she arrives here, she’s in good hands,” said Gore.
Now Gause is pleading for the community to lend a helping hand. He says the costs to seal and prevent more water damage could cost $20 to $25,000.
“We don’t have funding to do it,” Gause said.
Gause said the non-profit has maybe 10% of that cost, $2,400, that is set aside in reserve funds to pay for the repairs. Most of the money the center receives is grant or foundation funds that go directly into programs and equipment.
“It’s not me, it’s not my teacher, it’s the kids,” said Gause.
It’s also the community that benefits from the services of the center if you ask parents.
“It brought back a lot of hope. It brought back a lot of promise,” said Shay who has two kids in the after school program.
Gause is unsure what the timetable looks like for repairs since his organization does not have the money to cover costs. However, he is concerned about the fate of the center if no miracle can be made.
“After a while, we’re going to have to shut the doors because if it gets so far out in the hallway, we can’t doing anything about it,” said Gause.
You can donate directly to the center located at 1690 Race Path Street or Phoenix Renaissance Inc. at 286 Sunset Drive both in Myrtle Beach. The non-profit’s website accepts donations. You can reach Rev. Gause at 843-283-3864 if you are interested in helping the center. Regardless of the news, the center still strives to continue its programs over the holiday season. This weekend the center plans to take all of the children to a local Wal-Mart to buy Christmas toys.
If there’s mold in your rental home in DC, you may not get help without a fight. While landlords are supposed to get rid of mold when it’s spotted, some tenants have to take them to housing conditions court in order to get an inspection and treatment. Currently, city inspectors aren’t trained to spot mold and can’t fine landlords when they neglect to address it.
“Mold is a persistent cause of complaint by tenants in poor-quality housing,” said DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson in an email. His Indoor Mold Remediation Enforcement Amendment Act of 2019 aims to update the Air Quality Amendment Act of 2014, which requires landlords to deal with mold but doesn’t have adequate enforcement. Right now, tenants can file a lawsuit with the DC Superior Court or pay someone themselves to deal with the issue, but this system can leave low-income tenants on the hook for expensive treatment.
Two DC agencies are involved with mold issues: the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA, which legally could cite cases of mold in rental housing but doesn’t seem to even though it does so for a variety of similar issues, and the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), which oversees the certification of private mold inspectors and contractors. It’s not clear who communicates between the two, or who is supposed to.
“Unfortunately, the current enforcement mechanism requires involvement by the DC Department of Energy and the Environment, even though tenants typically call the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs because DCRA handles all other housing code violations,” Mendelson said. “The result is, from a tenant’s perspective, complicated enforcement and unnecessary delays.”
The new law It would task the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) with spotting and treating mold, and would give it the power to cite landlords who don’t comply. It would also require DOEE to certify DCRA housing inspectors to conduct indoor mold assessment and remediation so they can handle mold complaints in-house. Currently DOEE only certifies private contractors; Mendelson’s change moves this outsourced role to DCRA.
Mold is a big problem in the region
Mold plagues everything from local public housing and other apartment buildings to student dormitories. Last year, 600 students at the University of Maryland were displaced because of a mold outbreak, American University students reported mold-related health problems, and Georgetown’s Facilities Department responded to 361 mold-related work requests between August and October of 2018 alone. Tenants elsewhere in the region, like Silver Spring, have also had to sue for mold treatment.
So why does the area have so many mold problems? According to Beth Harrison, Supervising Attorney in the Housing Law Unit of the Legal Aid Society, DC has lots of older buildings which tend to be susceptible to water damage, which then breeds mold.
“The housing stock is older, and so you see issues with water intrusion because you have leaks in the roof, you have windows that are not necessarily completely air tight and maybe need to be replaced,” Harrison said. “You have plumbing systems that are old and likely have leaks behind the walls. This is just a problem that you tend to get in older housing stock.”
In 2015, the Legal Aid Society found that half of the housing violation cases it registered during a six-month period cited mold or mildew concerns, according to Harrison, and that number is consistent with her experience. Kathy Zeisel, who works on housing cases at the Children’s Law Center, had a similar observation according to WAMU: “I would say that in well over half, maybe even 70%, of the cases that we get referred people are reporting mold in their home.”
Neither DOEE or DCRA responded to inquiries about whether the city had data compiled for mold violations specifically.
Mold can spark serious health problems
The most typical kind of mold that appears in buildings or housing complexes is black mold, or stachybotrys chartarum, according to Dori Germolec, a biologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
“We refer to mold like it’s one thing — it’s not,” Germolec said. “It’s lots of different organisms, and mold is found everywhere. It’s ubiquitous. The real issue is when it becomes overgrown, which is what happens, for example, in damp environments. A small amount of mold is probably not going to be an issue, but some people are particularly sensitive to it.”
The toxic black mold Stachybotrys chartarum growing on a paper towel. Image by Kathie Hodge licensed under Creative Commons.
The most common symptoms that tenants in mold-infested housing develop are respiratory-based, Germolec says.
“The primary health effects of exposure to mold tends to be respiratory,” Germolec said. “Many people, when there’s a lot of exposure to mold, will get rhinitis, which is runny nose. They can get things like bronchitis. Individuals that may be sensitized to mold can have asthma-like symptoms, so respiratory distress, difficulty breathing, wheezing.”
In DC, 1 in 6 residents suffer from asthma, according to the DC Asthma Coalition, and the highest rates are found in Wards 5, 7 and 8. Reporting from Morgan Baskin at City Paper showed that the District’s high asthma rates are due in part to poor housing conditions, and the problem “disproportionately affects poor, urban minority children.” More extreme reactions to mold include allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
“DC has higher than national average asthma rates for adults and children,” Harrison said. “The doctors and other healthcare professionals that work with those children with asthma would tell you that very often, housing conditions—particularly for low income children—are a trigger or [are] exacerbating their asthma. This relates to housing code enforcement generally, and the approach we think the DC government should take is that housing code violations, including mold, are a public health issue.”
Clarifying a complicated process
DC’s Air Quality Amendment Act of 2014 does not require DCRA to include cases of mold in its housing inspections. However, the wording makes it possible for the agency to cite mold problems if they wanted to, according to Harrison. We repeatedly reached out to DCRA about this matter, but did not get a response.
Since DCRA doesn’t seem to be citing cases of mold, tenants must notify landlords themselves in writing in order to start the treatment process. Landlords must respond in seven days, and have 30 days to fix the problem. To do so properly, they must hire a DOEE-licensed mold inspector and contractor. However, DOEE will only provide a federally-licensed professional if the mold contamination is greater than 10 square feet, and the new bill doesn’t change that.
Homeowners are not required to hire a DOEE-licensed mold professional if they have no tenants. If the mold contamination is smaller, landlords have to deal with it themselves.
“We need a system that’s set up so that the tenants I work with [at the Legal Aid Society] don’t have to come to me to file something in court, but they can call a government agency, the government agency comes out, inspects, finds a violation, tells the landlord you have to fix this and follow the law, and then has follow-up to make sure that actually happens, and has an enforcement process to deter landlords from having the problems be created in the first place,” Harrison said.
Right now, DOEE regulates mold assessors and remediators, but doesn’t train them. To obtain certification from DOEE as a licensed mold inspector, one must go through an approved training program and exam, and have proof of three years of professional field experience, says DOEE spokesperson Mike Matthews. Under the new bill, all DCRA housing inspectors would be required to obtain certification with DOEE within 180 days of the bill’s passing to be able to cite mold.
If a landlord does not adequately address the mold issue in 30 days, DCRA inspectors would be able to issue Class 4 infractions. A first offense results in a $100 fine, while a fourth offense costs $800. Landlords may submit a request for an extension if they made a good-faith effort to remediate the mold, or the treatment requires more than 30 days to complete.
If you’d like to weigh in on this issue, Mendelson and Councilmember Mary Cheh are holding a hearing on the mold bill on Monday, December 9.
“In our backroom, one of our back rooms, there are some soft spots that started in through the hallway and we asked one of our friends to come in and check it out and they found out that underneath the building all of the insulation is just like water it’s just full of water,” said Rev. William Gause, president of the Phoenix Renaissance.
Mold in privately run housing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida not only caused health problems but led to mushrooms growing out of a floor and carpet, according to a federal lawsuit filed by five service members and their families.The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. district court in Tampa, accuses the housing owners and managers of ignoring repeated complaints about mold exposure, conducting inadequate remediation work and not sharing mold test results with the military families.»In at least one instance, moldy conditions went untreated … for so long that mushrooms grew out of the floor and carpet,» the suit said.»Indeed, once a leak, flood, or dampness occurs, mold can begin to spread, and its natural progression is to spur highly toxic ‘mold mushrooms’ that are harmful to human and animals alike,» according to the suit.The defendants in the case — the Michaels Organization, Michael Management Services, Interstate Realty Management Company, AMC East Communities, Clark Realty Capital and Harbor Bay at MacDill — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The serious mold problems at the housing complex, known as Harbor Bay at MacDill, were known to the defendants since 2016, the suit said.The service members and their families suffered numerous health problems from exposure to the mold, including respiratory ailments, liver and spleen damage, headaches, memory loss, rashes, arthritis and lupus, the suit said.The families were forced to vacate their homes and move to temporary housing for extended periods of time, according to the suit.The suit said U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited the base in March to hear residents’ complaints about mold and other problems. In June, the Air Force sent a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency to speak with the families.After remediation efforts, the defendants often failed to share the results of mold and moisture inspections with families, the suit said.»These men and women who serve our country and keep us safe, and their children safe, deserve to life in safe, clean, and uncontaminated housing,» the suit said.In May, a report by the Military Family Advisory Network, a charitable organization, said that 54% of 105 service members surveyed at MacDill had experienced problems with mold, according to the suit.The Air Force this year cut money the defendants received through a performance incentive fee because of mold problems and complaints about remediation efforts, the suit said.Service chiefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. They acknowledged widespread problems with the handling of military housing and pledged to address a range of issues.At an earlier Senate hearing, the committee heard testimony from military families who detailed the poor condition of some privatized housing units on bases across the country, including issues with mold, lead paint and rats.The four U.S. military services said they had prepared a draft of a joint «Tenant Bill of Rights» as a first step at increasing the quality of service member housing. But it remained unclear how the services plan to hold private housing contractors accountable for issues related to poor construction or potential negligence.Related video: Mold problems plague Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
CNN —
Mold in privately run housing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida not only caused health problems but led to mushrooms growing out of a floor and carpet, according to a federal lawsuit filed by five service members and their families.
The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. district court in Tampa, accuses the housing owners and managers of ignoring repeated complaints about mold exposure, conducting inadequate remediation work and not sharing mold test results with the military families.
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«In at least one instance, moldy conditions went untreated … for so long that mushrooms grew out of the floor and carpet,» the suit said.
«Indeed, once a leak, flood, or dampness occurs, mold can begin to spread, and its natural progression is to spur highly toxic ‘mold mushrooms’ that are harmful to human and animals alike,» according to the suit.
The defendants in the case — the Michaels Organization, Michael Management Services, Interstate Realty Management Company, AMC East Communities, Clark Realty Capital and Harbor Bay at MacDill — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The serious mold problems at the housing complex, known as Harbor Bay at MacDill, were known to the defendants since 2016, the suit said.
The service members and their families suffered numerous health problems from exposure to the mold, including respiratory ailments, liver and spleen damage, headaches, memory loss, rashes, arthritis and lupus, the suit said.
The families were forced to vacate their homes and move to temporary housing for extended periods of time, according to the suit.
The suit said U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited the base in March to hear residents’ complaints about mold and other problems. In June, the Air Force sent a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency to speak with the families.
After remediation efforts, the defendants often failed to share the results of mold and moisture inspections with families, the suit said.
«These men and women who serve our country and keep us safe, and their children safe, deserve to life in safe, clean, and uncontaminated housing,» the suit said.
In May, a report by the Military Family Advisory Network, a charitable organization, said that 54% of 105 service members surveyed at MacDill had experienced problems with mold, according to the suit.
The Air Force this year cut money the defendants received through a performance incentive fee because of mold problems and complaints about remediation efforts, the suit said.
Service chiefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. They acknowledged widespread problems with the handling of military housing and pledged to address a range of issues.
At an earlier Senate hearing, the committee heard testimony from military families who detailed the poor condition of some privatized housing units on bases across the country, including issues with mold, lead paint and rats.
The four U.S. military services said they had prepared a draft of a joint «Tenant Bill of Rights» as a first step at increasing the quality of service member housing. But it remained unclear how the services plan to hold private housing contractors accountable for issues related to poor construction or potential negligence.
Related video: Mold problems plague Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
Residents living in privately-run housing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida have filed a lawsuit accusing the owners and property managers of the facility of failing to deal with a significant mold problem.
The families reported the issues as far back as 2016, but the building management was unable to keep up with the problem. When the workers did show up to remove the mold, they left the job unfinished and failed to provide the results of mold and moisture inspections.
«Indeed, once a leak, flood, or dampness occurs, mold can begin to spread, and its natural progression is to spur highly toxic ‘mold mushrooms’ that are harmful to human and animals alike,» the lawsuit says.
The families found the mold growing everywhere. It was on their walls, in their air ducts, and even in their bedrooms. In one instance, the mold got so bad that a family found mushrooms growing out of their carpet.
The lawsuit says that families developed severe health issues, including respiratory ailments, liver damage, memory loss, rashes, arthritis, and lupus, as a result of exposure to the mold. Some of the children who were exposed could have life-long health issues, as well.
In some cases, the families were forced to leave their homes and live in temporary housing, uprooting their lives and the lives of their children for extended periods of time.
The issues at MacDill are part of a larger problem with dilapidated military housing at bases across the country. Military officials from all four branches were grilled by lawmakers in March about the conditions, while military families testified about disgusting living conditions they endure at the privately-run facilities.
Mold in privately run housing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida not only caused health problems but led to mushrooms growing out of a floor and carpet, according to a federal lawsuit filed by five service members and their families.The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. district court in Tampa, accuses the housing owners and managers of ignoring repeated complaints about mold exposure, conducting inadequate remediation work and not sharing mold test results with the military families.»In at least one instance, moldy conditions went untreated … for so long that mushrooms grew out of the floor and carpet,» the suit said.»Indeed, once a leak, flood, or dampness occurs, mold can begin to spread, and its natural progression is to spur highly toxic ‘mold mushrooms’ that are harmful to human and animals alike,» according to the suit.The defendants in the case — the Michaels Organization, Michael Management Services, Interstate Realty Management Company, AMC East Communities, Clark Realty Capital and Harbor Bay at MacDill — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The serious mold problems at the housing complex, known as Harbor Bay at MacDill, were known to the defendants since 2016, the suit said.The service members and their families suffered numerous health problems from exposure to the mold, including respiratory ailments, liver and spleen damage, headaches, memory loss, rashes, arthritis and lupus, the suit said.The families were forced to vacate their homes and move to temporary housing for extended periods of time, according to the suit.The suit said U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited the base in March to hear residents’ complaints about mold and other problems. In June, the Air Force sent a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency to speak with the families.After remediation efforts, the defendants often failed to share the results of mold and moisture inspections with families, the suit said.»These men and women who serve our country and keep us safe, and their children safe, deserve to life in safe, clean, and uncontaminated housing,» the suit said.In May, a report by the Military Family Advisory Network, a charitable organization, said that 54% of 105 service members surveyed at MacDill had experienced problems with mold, according to the suit.The Air Force this year cut money the defendants received through a performance incentive fee because of mold problems and complaints about remediation efforts, the suit said.Service chiefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. They acknowledged widespread problems with the handling of military housing and pledged to address a range of issues.At an earlier Senate hearing, the committee heard testimony from military families who detailed the poor condition of some privatized housing units on bases across the country, including issues with mold, lead paint and rats.The four U.S. military services said they had prepared a draft of a joint «Tenant Bill of Rights» as a first step at increasing the quality of service member housing. But it remained unclear how the services plan to hold private housing contractors accountable for issues related to poor construction or potential negligence.Related video: Mold problems plague Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
CNN —
Mold in privately run housing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida not only caused health problems but led to mushrooms growing out of a floor and carpet, according to a federal lawsuit filed by five service members and their families.
The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. district court in Tampa, accuses the housing owners and managers of ignoring repeated complaints about mold exposure, conducting inadequate remediation work and not sharing mold test results with the military families.
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«In at least one instance, moldy conditions went untreated … for so long that mushrooms grew out of the floor and carpet,» the suit said.
«Indeed, once a leak, flood, or dampness occurs, mold can begin to spread, and its natural progression is to spur highly toxic ‘mold mushrooms’ that are harmful to human and animals alike,» according to the suit.
The defendants in the case — the Michaels Organization, Michael Management Services, Interstate Realty Management Company, AMC East Communities, Clark Realty Capital and Harbor Bay at MacDill — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The serious mold problems at the housing complex, known as Harbor Bay at MacDill, were known to the defendants since 2016, the suit said.
The service members and their families suffered numerous health problems from exposure to the mold, including respiratory ailments, liver and spleen damage, headaches, memory loss, rashes, arthritis and lupus, the suit said.
The families were forced to vacate their homes and move to temporary housing for extended periods of time, according to the suit.
The suit said U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited the base in March to hear residents’ complaints about mold and other problems. In June, the Air Force sent a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency to speak with the families.
After remediation efforts, the defendants often failed to share the results of mold and moisture inspections with families, the suit said.
«These men and women who serve our country and keep us safe, and their children safe, deserve to life in safe, clean, and uncontaminated housing,» the suit said.
In May, a report by the Military Family Advisory Network, a charitable organization, said that 54% of 105 service members surveyed at MacDill had experienced problems with mold, according to the suit.
The Air Force this year cut money the defendants received through a performance incentive fee because of mold problems and complaints about remediation efforts, the suit said.
Service chiefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. They acknowledged widespread problems with the handling of military housing and pledged to address a range of issues.
At an earlier Senate hearing, the committee heard testimony from military families who detailed the poor condition of some privatized housing units on bases across the country, including issues with mold, lead paint and rats.
The four U.S. military services said they had prepared a draft of a joint «Tenant Bill of Rights» as a first step at increasing the quality of service member housing. But it remained unclear how the services plan to hold private housing contractors accountable for issues related to poor construction or potential negligence.
Related video: Mold problems plague Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
(CNN) — Mold in privately run housing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida not only caused health problems but led to mushrooms growing out of a floor and carpet, according to a federal lawsuit filed by five service members and their families.
The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Tampa, accuses the housing owners and managers of ignoring repeated complaints about mold exposure, conducting inadequate remediation work and not sharing mold test results with the military families.
«In at least one instance, moldy conditions went untreated … for so long that mushrooms grew out of the floor and carpet,» the suit said.
«Indeed, once a leak, flood, or dampness occurs, mold can begin to spread, and its natural progression is to spur highly toxic ‘mold mushrooms’ that are harmful to human and animals alike,» according to the lawsuit.
The defendants in the case — the Michaels Organization, Michael Management Services, Interstate Realty Management Company, AMC East Communities, Clark Realty Capital and Harbor Bay at MacDill — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The serious mold problems at the housing complex, known as Harbor Bay at MacDill, were known to the defendants since 2016, the suit said.
The service members and their families suffered numerous health problems from exposure to the mold, including respiratory ailments, liver and spleen damage, headaches, memory loss, rashes, arthritis and lupus, the suit said.
The families were forced to vacate their homes and move to temporary housing for extended periods of time, according to the suit.
The suit said US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited the base in March to hear residents’ complaints about mold and other problems. In June, the Air Force sent a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency to speak with the families.
After remediation efforts, the defendants often failed to share the results of mold and moisture inspections with families, the suit said.
«These men and women who serve our country and keep us safe, and their children safe, deserve to life in safe, clean, and uncontaminated housing,» the suit said.
In May, a report by the Military Family Advisory Network, a charitable organization, said that 54% of 105 service members surveyed at MacDill had experienced problems with mold, according to the suit.
The Air Force this year cut money the defendants received through a performance incentive fee because of mold problems and complaints about remediation efforts, the suit said.
Service chiefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. They acknowledged widespread problems with the handling of military housing and pledged to address a range of issues.
At an earlier Senate hearing, the committee heard testimony from military families who detailed the poor condition of some privatized housing units on bases across the country, including issues with mold, lead paint and rats.
The four US military services said they had prepared a draft of a joint «Tenant Bill of Rights» as a first step at increasing the quality of service member housing. But it remained unclear how the services plan to hold private housing contractors accountable for issues related to poor construction or potential negligence.
TAMPA — Five military families filed a federal lawsuit this week against owners and managers of private housing at MacDill Air Force Base, alleging years of negligence in persistent problems with mold throughout the buildings.
The families seek damages for emotional, financial and medical costs associated with mold exposure and other medical concerns. The lawsuit is the latest among several suits filed against military housing landlords across the country.
The Tampa lawsuit alleges that property owners and managers rejected families’ concerns over mold exposure, performed shoddy remediation efforts, and failed to share results of their testing for mold. In at least one house, the mold went untreated for so long that mushrooms grew out of the floor, according to the suit.
The defendants have been aware of the problems since 2016 or earlier, said Natalie Khawam, representing the MacDill families through her Whistleblower Law Firm. The families trusted that their landlords would provide mold-free living environments and would deal with any problems, Khawam said.
It was years before they pursued legal action, she said.
«Most military families are not litigious,» Khawam said. «They were left with no resort but to push a lawsuit.»
Khawam represents military families in other states facing similar concerns. The MacDill lawsuit lists five families as plaintiffs but Khawam knows at least a dozen more with the same problems, she said.
Health consequences have included skin rashes and lung damage.
Special Forces Officer Jason Norquist was pulled from his six-month deployment because of respiratory problems that developed while he lived in MacDill housing with his family in 2018, according to the lawsuit. His wife and children also developed health problems. The Norquist family now lives in North Carolina, Khawam said.
Property managers and owners of private homes at MacDill don’t disclose previous mold problems when they move new families into homes, the lawsuit said. They also fail to fully share information once tests are conducted, the lawsuit said. Some families paid for third party examiners to do more comprehensive testing.
When landlords did conduct thorough remediation, the work displaced families for weeks at a time at a cost they bore, according to the lawsuit. In a number of cases, the mold was merely painted over and infected household belongings had to be thrown out, the lawsuit said.
In addition, property managers and owners waited until residents spoke up before addressing problems they already were aware of, the lawsuit said.
Defendants in the case include property owners AMC East Communities and Clark Realty Capital, and property manager The Michaels Organization and its subsidiaries Interstate Realty Management Co. and Michaels Management Services.
Ron Hansen, president of the Michaels Organization, declined to comment Tuesday, saying he needed to review the lawsuit.
MacDill families and others filing suit over mold also hope for a longer-term solution — a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act that would protect military families from negligent landlords, including a tenant bill of rights.
Khawam is speaking with Florida members of Congress, including Rep. Kathy Castor and Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, to seek their support for the measure.
Armed Services Committees in both the House and Senate planned to meet this week with top military brass and private landlords to discuss military housing conditions.
Damage Mold 