Mold, rotting wood, water leaks: 10 military families sue their privatized landlord at Fort Meade — Military Times

Fort Meade military families are suing their privatized housing landlord in federal court, claiming the company failed to address their problems with mold, leaks and other issues, leaving them stuck in houses with puddling water, rotting wood, rampant mold and other unsafe and unhealthy conditions.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Maryland Tuesday against Corvias Management-Army, LLC, and Meade Communities, LLC on behalf of 10 families who live or have lived at Fort Meade. Meade Communities is part of Corvias, which owns about 24,000 homes at seven Army bases and six Air Force bases.

The lawsuit also alleges Corvias violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Because the company failed to fix the problems, some of the families felt they had no choice but to move. In effect, that constituted “constructive eviction,” the lawsuit alleges. Others felt they were stuck because they couldn’t afford to move. The families are Navy, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.

The 92-page lawsuit describes water puddling indoors, moldy walls and wet carpet with mold underneath, rotting floor and beams, numerous illnesses and symptoms, and mold-induced financial problems. Families asked for repairs that were allegedly slow in coming, or never. Families have been displaced, and in some cases the homes they were moved to were also contaminated with mold. Families have spent money out of pocket for mold testing, to replace personal belongings contaminated by mold, and for some moving expenses.

Corvias spokeswoman Kelly Douglas said the company is aware of the complaint, “and it does not reflect the significant resources, attention and rigor that has been brought to assuring quality resident housing.”

The complaint also requests that the case be certified as a class action, noting there are more than 800 houses on Fort Meade. Attorney Ben Block, a veteran and attorney who is among the 10-lawyer Coving & Burling team representing the families, said they’ve heard from many other families at Fort Meade regarding this issue.

Many of the allegations cited in the lawsuit echo the housing issues that have been raised by numerous military families over the past year, and through Reuters reporting. Military officials and company officials have vowed publicly to immediately fix problems and set permanent fixes in motion. Service officials have admitted they abdicated their responsibility, and gave up their oversight roles over the years to private companies who were supposed to provide better housing, sustain and maintain it for 50 years.

While it doesn’t specify the amount of damages that are being sought, the complaint notes that this matter exceeds the value of $5 million.

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In one example cited in the lawsuit, a Navy family felt compelled to buy their own equipment to deal with leaks and mold that the maintenance personnel couldn’t fix, and are still feeling the financial effects. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Derek Buitrago took a night job, was giving plasma at a plasma center, and visiting a food pantry to pay the bills directly related to his water leaks and mold.

He and his wife Sandy and their two sons moved into their home at Fort Meade on Aug. 13, 2016. In March, 2017, they reported a water leak from the top of the window sill in the living room. But by January, 2018, the Buitragos had grown tired of dealing with the constant leaks and puddles forming in their living room after each rain, so they purchased a heavy-duty carpet cleaner to clean the carpets after each leak, the lawsuit states.

When the family asked Corvias to allow them to move to another house because of the repeated water issues, Corvias told them it would require a $600 moving fee.

“The Buitragos did not have $600, so they were trapped in the leaky house,” the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit:

On Feb. 5, a pipe burst in the house, leading to flooding.

“Corvias maintenance personnel changed the pipe and left, leaving behind wet padding, carpet, a wall exposed with mold, and standing water in the living room.»

Then the Buitragos found a hole in the floor of their son’s room, directly above the leaking living room window. The water damage had caused the floor and beams underneath to rot.

At that point, Corvias relocated the family to a hotel on post. An ensuing mold inspection found elevated levels of mold in the house. The Buitragos family found that their couch had mold on the inside, but the Corvias representative suggested the family shampoo the couch.

The Buitragos were moved to another house on base, which also tested positive for elevated levels of mold, before moving on change of station orders to Camp Lejeune, N.C.

They are sleeping on air mattresses in their new home because they had to discard so much of their furniture because of mold, and don’t have the money to buy new furniture.

The lawsuit describes each family’s experience:

In one case Army Col. Scott Gerber and his wife Sandy experienced numerous instances of water damage and mold infestation. When Sandy Gerber went to Texas to visit her mother who was battling lung cancer, her mother had an acute respiratory attack because of the mold. Her mother has since been diagnosed with a fungal infection, believed to be related to this second-hand mold exposure, that will require surgery.

The Gerbers had to hire a private home inspection service to test for mold when Corvias refused to do so. Because Corvias would declare there was no mold without inspecting, the Gerbers paid out of their own pocket for multiple other military families to have mold testing on their houses, according to the lawsuit.

The eight other service members and their families who are suing Corvias are: Army Sgt. Joseph Addi; Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kylie Bowers; Navy Senior Chief Daniel Chubb; Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Gilliland; Air Force Master Sgt. Alexander Nunez; Sgt. 1st Class Youn Pascal; Coast Guard Petty Officer Tyquan Scullark; Army Sgt. Andrew Ziemann.

Corvias knew that many houses on Fort Meade had problems with mold, according to the lawsuit, because company officials attached a mold addendum to leases, requiring all residents to sign it. It requests residents to promptly notify Corvias of any visible mold growth, and Corvias would in turn respond to repair or remediate the situation.

The lawsuit alleges Corvias committed fraud by making “false statements and material omissions about the condition of the housing on Fort Meade,” and by moving the families into houses which the company knew were infested with toxic mold. The company also allegedly made false statements about the status and success of their repair and remediation work.

The lawsuit alleges Corvias committed negligence, by “failing to properly evaluate housing conditions to ensure leased properties were fit for human habitation, failing to properly repair and remedy those conditions affecting the health and safety of the residents even after being informed of and observing first-hand the degraded and unsafe conditions of the homes under their care, failing to send qualified repair persons to perform the necessary repairs and remediation, and falsely stating that repairs had been completed when the problems persisted.”

A similar lawsuit was filed Oct. 29 in federal court in San Antonio by eight families against Hunt Military Communities.

And in September, a jury in San Diego awarded a Marine Corps family more than $2 million in connection with mold contamination and other issues in their residence in a military privatized housing community.

source https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2019/11/13/mold-rotting-wood-water-leaks-10-military-families-sue-their-privatized-landlord/

Doctor sounds alarm about Plymouth firefighters health — Wicked Local Plymouth

Dr. Christine Kannler of Northeast Dermatology Associates conducted a free skin cancer screening at the Cedarville Fire Station in May. Fire Chief Ed Bradley said the town’s entire firefighting force turned out for the screening.

PLYMOUTH – A doctor is concerned about Plymouth firefighters’ health due to their exposure to mold in their living quarters.

Dr. Christine Kannler of Northeast Dermatology Associates conducted a free skin cancer screening at the Cedarville Fire Station in May. Fire Chief Ed Bradley said the town’s entire firefighting force turned out for the screening.

Kannler screened the crew and also surveyed firefighters about their health. She observed mold in the venting system, and penned a letter to Town Manager Melissa Arrighi and Public Works Director Jonathan Beder regarding this issue.

The town had already addressed the mold issue by the time the letter was sent.

Arrighi said Tuesday that she has never ignored a complaint about mold in a building. She said she has always responded immediately to these issues.

However, Bradley noted that the mold problem at the Cedarville Fire Station was cleaned, not fixed, and that mold in this venting system is a chronic problem that returns after it is cleaned.

In the letter, dated Aug. 28, Kannler notes that she has been participating in the American Academy of Dermatology SPOTme program, volunteering at numerous fire stations across the state due to the increased incidence of occupational cancer in firefighters. She writes that she spotted the mold in two of the vents and warned the town about its hazards.

She also included a survey of the force that revealed 76 percent reporting rhinitis symptoms, 40 percent with frequent sinus infections and headaches, 52 percent reporting that they snore due to excessive congestion, 66 percent reporting nasal congestion, 62 percent reporting frequent post nasal drip and 54 percent reporting trouble sleeping from the conditions. Ear popping and blockage affects 34 percent, chronic sore throats impact 26 percent, according to the survey, while 22 percent reported asthma, and 22 percent have dermatitis. Wheezing is impacting 16 percent, according to the survey.

Chronic roof leaks in four of the town’s seven stations has heightened concerns regarding mold. Station 7 in North Plymouth shows visible signs of it, with large, white patches on a wall. Stations 2 and 5, West and Manomet, have pernicious leaks and water damage that suggest the possible presence of mold; firefighters at these stations say they feel sick when they work there. Meanwhile, chronic flooding and leaks at Fire Station 1 have also led to pockets of mold. Bradley said mold was in the basement and some walls in the living area upstairs.

“Some walls have been removed as well as the kitchen,” he added. “All were mold from leaks.”

“Firefighters dedicate their lives to rescuing the public from disasters,” Kannler writes in her letter. “Many times firefighters put their own safety aside to save the lives of others as they enter burning buildings and inhale noxious smoke. Firefighters already sacrifice their health and lives to ensure the safety of our communities, they should not be exposed to mold and poor air quality in fire stations and consequently suffer from mold allergic reactions.”

Bradley said Kannler contacted the union Sept. 6 when she had not received a response to her letter.

Sept. 9, Town Manager Melissa Arrighi sent an email response, noting that public works crews had already addressed the mold issue at Cedarville Fire Station Aug. 9, prior to Kannler’s letter to the town, and the work order was noted as completed Aug. 15.

“At this time, Cedarville Fire Station’s damaged ceiling tiles were replaced and all diffusers were removed, cleaned and re-installed,” Arrighi writes. “The town, through our Facilities Maintenance Division, will continue to make our multiple fire stations a priority in terms of repairs and maintenance.”

This week, Arrighi noted that the town is mobilizing resources to address the different needs of the individual stations. She said she recommends a total replacement of the headquarters since the current building is not adequate. And, while Town Meeting has increased the facilities budget, the town needs dedicated funds to correct issues with all the fire stations.

“Every single person in this Town, from town leadership to elected and appointed officials to residents not engaged in daily government, want safe and secure facilities for our public safety and emergency response officials,” she wrote in an email. “But all of this comes with a significant financial commitment from the public and that is prior to funding operational maintenance for the other 25 public buildings, not including the 11 school buildings.”

And, while the town attacks problems with the fire stations to protect its firefighting force, the risks associated with firefighting escalate. Bradley noted that more firefighters than ever nationwide are being diagnosed with aggressive cancers like oral, digestive, respiratory and urinary cancers.

“Researchers say one big reason for the change is that firefighters today are fighting very different blazes,” Bradley said. “Modern homes and businesses full of synthetics, plastics and chemicals that can explode much faster and coat firefighters in a toxic soot. Now, fire departments nationwide are ordering their men and women to take the danger from chemicals much more seriously. No longer is a firefighter’s soot-covered face a badge of honor. Departments are buying air tanks that provide oxygen for 45 minutes, rather than the standard 30 minutes.”

A Center for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study tracked nearly 30,000 firefighters across the country in 2010 and found higher rates of cancer than the general population, he added.

Congress is currently considering whether to approve the creation of a National Firefighter Cancer Registry to get a firm handle on the number of deaths, Bradley said.

source https://plymouth.wickedlocal.com/news/20191112/doctor-sounds-alarm-about-plymouth-firefighters-health

Roanoke church launches fundraising campaign to help pay for major repairs — WDBJ7

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ7) If you’ve visited downtown Roanoke, you’ve heard the chime of Greene Memorial United Methodist Church.

And there are many other ways the congregation of the 130 year-old church has reached out beyond its stone walls.

«I’ve seen Renovation Alliance and Greene Memorial welcome over 600 volunteers from across the country,» said Ellie Rigby.

«We work with families with children who are experiencing homelessness,» said Family Promise Executive Director Marie Muddiman. «With Greene Memorial’s help, they have housed almost 600 families.»

«And they’ve always sought to fill the gaps that we’ve needed in our community,» added Highland Park Elementary School Principal Mark Crummey.

On Tuesday morning, several organizations described their partnerships with Greene Memorial, as the church explained why it’s now asking others for help.

The church is in the middle of a major restoration project to repair extensive water damage.

Debbie Brown s the Director of Programs and Outreach Ministries.

«And once we looked behind the wallpaper, we realized there was severe water damage and mold was building up.»

Costs have risen far beyond what was anticipated. The church has depleted its endowment and members have struggled to raise another $300,000 for the most urgent repairs.

«We feel like we have a ministry that’s vital, especially to the downtown area and the Roanoke community,» Brown told WDBJ7, «and we want to be able to continue that. And so we’re just reaching out to the public to give us a helping hand.»

After a year of repairs, the congregation will hold services in the sanctuary later this month.

Brown says members are excited to return, and hopeful their fundraising campaign will help secure the future of the landmark they love.

To learn more about the fundraising campaign, click on the following link:

Greene Memorial United Methodist Church fundraising campaign

source https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Roanoke-church-launches-fundraising-campaign-to-help-pay-for-major-repairs-564830942.html

Arkansas election office may move due to high mold levels — The Advocate

Updated

PINE BLUFF, Ark. (AP) — Mold contamination at an election commission office in Arkansas is so extreme that staff health and electronic voting machines are at risk, and officials are looking for an alternative working space.

Aerus air quality technicians who inspected the Jefferson County Election Commission office last month found evidence of water damage and mold buildup, and an oppressive musty odor permeated the air.

«They found mold in the carpet,» Commissioner Stuart Soffer said. «In the heating and air room, the readings were unbelievable and there was a pickle bucket in there with water and mold that has been growing because apparently one of the units back there was leaking, and the two air filters were black with mold.»

Soffer noted that mold was growing inside the cabinets in the media room, where commissioners work to prepare elections and to tabulate election results. He added that the moisture contamination was coming from a building next door that was leaking into the election commission office.

«The bottom line is that we cannot continue using this building,» he said. «We have a liability and if you knowingly expose people to this stuff, you’re setting yourself up.»

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold can prompt a variety of health problems including eye, nose and throat irritation, but can also lead to lung disease and upper respiratory tract illness for those with asthma or a compromised immune system.

Aerus’ measurements showed that one election room contained 73,300 particles per cubic foot small mold spores, which technicians said far exceeded acceptable levels of 2,500 particles per cubic foot. They also found large mold spores measuring 16,800 particles per cubic foot, while the acceptable level is 200 particles per cubic foot.

The Arkansas Gazette-Democrat reported that the damp and mold could lead to corrosion of electronic voting machines.

The technicians said mold spore levels far exceeded acceptable levels. Aerus, which sells air and water purifiers, recommended a $1,500 dehumidifier.

Soffer suggested that the election commission could move into the former sheriff’s office facility in the county courthouse. But County Judge Gerald Robinson, the chief executive of county government, said that room wasn’t available to the election commission. Robinson said he would look for another county-owned building to use.

___

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com

source https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Arkansas-election-office-may-move-due-to-high-14825913.php

Arkansas election office may move due to high mold levels — Thehour.com

Updated

PINE BLUFF, Ark. (AP) — Mold contamination at an election commission office in Arkansas is so extreme that staff health and electronic voting machines are at risk, and officials are looking for an alternative working space.

Aerus air quality technicians who inspected the Jefferson County Election Commission office last month found evidence of water damage and mold buildup, and an oppressive musty odor permeated the air.

«They found mold in the carpet,» Commissioner Stuart Soffer said. «In the heating and air room, the readings were unbelievable and there was a pickle bucket in there with water and mold that has been growing because apparently one of the units back there was leaking, and the two air filters were black with mold.»

Soffer noted that mold was growing inside the cabinets in the media room, where commissioners work to prepare elections and to tabulate election results. He added that the moisture contamination was coming from a building next door that was leaking into the election commission office.

«The bottom line is that we cannot continue using this building,» he said. «We have a liability and if you knowingly expose people to this stuff, you’re setting yourself up.»

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold can prompt a variety of health problems including eye, nose and throat irritation, but can also lead to lung disease and upper respiratory tract illness for those with asthma or a compromised immune system.

Aerus’ measurements showed that one election room contained 73,300 particles per cubic foot small mold spores, which technicians said far exceeded acceptable levels of 2,500 particles per cubic foot. They also found large mold spores measuring 16,800 particles per cubic foot, while the acceptable level is 200 particles per cubic foot.

The Arkansas Gazette-Democrat reported that the damp and mold could lead to corrosion of electronic voting machines.

The technicians said mold spore levels far exceeded acceptable levels. Aerus, which sells air and water purifiers, recommended a $1,500 dehumidifier.

Soffer suggested that the election commission could move into the former sheriff’s office facility in the county courthouse. But County Judge Gerald Robinson, the chief executive of county government, said that room wasn’t available to the election commission. Robinson said he would look for another county-owned building to use.

___

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com

source https://www.thehour.com/news/article/Arkansas-election-office-may-move-due-to-high-14825913.php

Denver Air Force veteran receives surprise home makeover — FOX 31 Denver


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DENVER — Some volunteers spent most of their Veterans Day fixing up an 81-year-old former Air Force medic’s home in East Denver.

The home belongs to Ms. Ethel Jones. Both she and her late husband, William, served in the U.S. Air Force. William passed away in 1988.

«He was a good person to me,” Ms. Ethel said.

Growing in age and having a home to take care of, things became a little difficult for Ethel.

«Ms. Ethel gave us a call. She was very concerned about a lower bedroom with some water damage and mold growing in it,” said Jodie Liddy.

Liddy is the executive director of a non-profit group called, ‘Rebuilding Together Metro Denver’. 

The non-profit partnered up with Sears to conduct major home repairs at Ms. Ethel’s home as part of Sears’ ‘Heroes at Home’ program.

Not only are they fixing her mold problem, but they also took care of a few other odds and ends for Ms. Ethel.

«We were able to put in a second hand rail for her going down her stairs,” Liddy explained. “[We put] grab bars in her bathroom, so when she gets in and out of the shower it’s safe for her”.

The volunteers also provided her with a new stove, sine her old one wasn’t working anymore.

“This is the best I’ve ever had,” Ms. Ethel said of her Veteran’s Day this year.

‘Rebuilding Together Metro Denver’ helps low-income residents, seniors and veterans fix up their homes. If you’re in need of assistance, you can fill out an application on the group’s website.

AlertMe

source https://kdvr.com/2019/11/11/denver-air-force-veteran-receives-surprise-home-makeover/

‘Don’t nobody listen’: Why a disabled Mississippi veteran is fighting to buy a new home — with his own money — Mississippi Today

Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America

U.S. Army veteran Anthony Burkett looks out the front door of his damaged trailer in Seminary, Miss., Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

SEMINARY, Miss. — U.S. Army veteran Anthony Burkett, 53, lives in a musty trailer with sinking floors, soft walls and leaky windows off a gravel road in rural Covington County.

He has about $30,000 saved up in his bank account and receives a $3,171 monthly disability check from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, likely enough for a new home.

But Burkett can’t spend his own money. For the past 30 years, a local court has controlled his finances after the VA found him incapable of managing his own estate.

And 13th Chancery District Judge David Shoemake — who was nearly removed from office in 2016 after facing accusations he mismanaged a similar case — hasn’t approved the purchase of a new home.

“I get over $3,000 a month … And I feel like I don’t get nothing. They won’t give me the opportunity to be over my own money,” Burkett said.

Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America

U.S. Army veteran Anthony Burkett stands in front his trailer in Seminary, Miss., Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

After graduating from Seminary High School in 1985, Burkett joined the U.S. Army as a cook stationed in Germany. Less than a year later, then 19-year-old Burkett caught a ride home from a nightclub with some fellow soldiers from their barracks. The driver of the souped-up Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hit a bend at over 100 mph, lost control of the car and hit a tree. Burkett’s friend died in the crash; he was left in a coma.

“I broke almost every bone in my body,” Burkett said.

He was in a Jackson hospital for roughly three years. At one point, Burkett’s family chose to take him off life support. He woke up from the coma on his own but was severely paralyzed, having also suffered brain damage. A year after leaving the hospital in 1989, he purchased his two bedroom trailer with financial support from the U.S. Veteran Benefits Administration, which rated him 100 percent disabled. “I thought I would get treated better than I’m treated now,” he said.

Today, Burkett wears a bald head, thin black mustache on an otherwise clean-shaven face and slightly yellow-tinted glasses. His walking is shaky and he talks as if his mouth is full. He has difficulty pronouncing words, but understands and answers questions well.

His home had been a comfortable place to live until the years wore on the trailer’s roof, windows and plumbing. The dingy walls are covered in white, black, blue, pink and green tape, where Burkett has patched holes himself. Rainwater seeps into the house through the windows. Last spring, a corroded pipe burst, exacerbating the existing water damage. Mold is growing.

In 2018 alone, Burkett spent $1,300 on nine home repairs by Jerry Mooney of Collins Housing Services.

“How can you live in a place, man, that leaks all the time?” Burkett said. “I go through my house everyday checking on that mold … That mold will do something to you.”

Burkett’s finances are managed by a conservator, an attorney named Matthew Alliston. In May,  Alliston asked Judge Shoemake for permission to use Burkett’s funds to purchase a new home. Before the county elected Shoemake judge in 2010, he was the attorney serving as Burkett’s conservator.

Shoemake requested justification for the purchase from the veterans affairs department, which sent a letter in July confirming the current trailer needed to be replaced. Shoemake has yet to set a hearing on the issue.

“I would rather be dead than going through this crap,” Burkett said. “Don’t nobody listen to you. And people think you’re stupid and stuff. That’s a bad feeling.”

In 2016, the Mississippi Supreme Court found that Shoemake had mismanaged the finances of a woman who was incapacitated by improperly signing orders that cost her $23,000 she was unable to recuperate.

The court did not take the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance’s recommendation to remove Shoemake from office, but suspended him for 30 days, made him pay fines of $2,500, court costs of nearly $6,000 and publicly reprimanded him.

“Yet you keep presenting this same case before him and there are delays,” said Burkett’s sister, Constance Ceasar. “Then you’re piddling Anthony’s money out. Anthony doesn’t know where half of this stuff is. And it’s very concerning for our family.”

In an Oct. 17 complaint Ceasar filed against Shoemake with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance, she alleges the family began requesting a new home for Burkett over 10 years ago, the point at which it began to deteriorate, and has only faced logjams.

Shoemake’s office did not return calls to Mississippi Today.

Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America

Damaged walls in U.S. Army veteran Anthony Burkett’s trailer in Seminary, Miss., Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

Burkett is a tidy man, his large living room free from clutter or even furniture. He spends most of his time watching TV — old programs like the “Andy Griffith Show” or his favorite college football team, the Ohio State Buckeyes — from a tattered black swivel desk chair.

He doesn’t have a car so he only leaves the house to go to the grocery store or doctor’s office when his sister or a neighbor can drive him.

Out of his more than $3,000 monthly income, Burkett receives a personal allowance of $250 a week, which he uses to buy food and other necessities.

Alliston is responsible for paying monthly bills such as electricity ($90), water ($30), exterminator services ($30) and child support ($625). Alliston also gives roughly $200 a month to Burkett’s neighbors or family members to drive Burkett around, including the 140-mile round trip to his Jackson physician.

For his part, Alliston paid himself nearly $3,250 in fees in 2018, according to the annual accounting filed in court. In a June 2019 order signed by Judge Shoemake, he wrote that Alliston was, in fact, entitled to a fee of $2,291 in that time frame.

Alliston told Mississippi Today in a phone interview that he estimates he’s charged Burkett for half the time he’s spent on his case. “Just like this call that deals with it will never make it into the bill at the end of the year,” Alliston said, referring to an interview with Mississippi Today.

He declined to comment further on the progress or handling of Burkett’s case. The veterans affairs department did not respond to requests for comment.

Mooney, the home repairman who has maintained Burkett’s trailer for many years, said Alliston has discussed purchasing a new home for Burkett over the last three years, but that money wasn’t accumulating in his client’s account quickly enough.

“I don’t know why its taking so long to do something,” Mooney said.

To become a conservator, a person must secure a bond from a bank to ensure the ward is protected if the conservator misspends the funds. Ceasar attempted to take control of her brother’s estate in 2011 but was not approved for the bond, so Alliston took over.

Following cases of abuse and fraud within conservatorships across the state, the Legislature in 2019 passed the Guard and Protect (GAP) Act, which increases oversight and monitoring in these cases and standardizes the balance sheets conservators are required to file. The law takes effect Jan. 1.

“It’s no telling how many cases are out there like Anthony’s,” Ceasar said.

source https://mississippitoday.org/2019/11/11/dont-nobody-listen-why-a-disabled-mississippi-veteran-is-fighting-to-buy-a-new-home-with-his-own-money/

Mold growth has election panelists hunting new digs — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

PINE BLUFF — Excessive moisture in the Jefferson County Election Commission office has resulted in mold contamination, which presents an unacceptable health hazard and puts 150 electronic voting machines at risk, officials say.

According to Commissioner Stuart Soffer, technicians from Aerus in Little Rock tested the air quality in the commission offices in Pine Bluff on Oct. 31, and discovered significant mold contamination.

«They came in with meters and the lady was disbelieving the readings she was getting in the [personal electronic ballot] room,» Soffer said at Wednesday night’s commission meeting. «So she called me in to look at the readings. The reading in the room was 73,300 particles per cubic foot.»

According to the report supplied by Aerus, the measuring equipment used by the technicians measured mold spores 1 micron or less in size, and 5 microns or larger. In addition to the smaller mold spores that measured 73,300 particles per cubic foot, the room also contained 16,800 particles per cubic foot of the larger mold spores.

The report said acceptable levels of mold contamination would be 2,500 particles or less per cubic foot of the smaller spores and 200 particles per cubic foot of the larger spores.

In the meeting area, the equipment measured 51,600 particles per cubic foot of the smaller spores and 10,000 particles of the larger spores. Throughout the building there was evidence of water damage and mold buildup, and an oppressive musty odor permeated the air.

«They found mold in the carpet,» Soffer said, «which we have been complaining about. In the heating and air room the readings were unbelievable and there was a pickle bucket in there with water and mold that has been growing because apparently one of the units back there was leaking, and the two air filters were black with mold.»

In the media room where commissioners work to prepare elections and to tabulate election results, mold was found growing inside the cabinets, Soffer said.

«The bottom line is that we cannot continue using this building,» he said. «We have a liability and if you knowingly expose people to this stuff, you’re setting yourself up.»

Soffer said Aerus had recommended a dehumidifier for the building at a cost of about $1,500 but he said the problems inside the building were too great considering much of the moisture contamination was coming from a building next door that was leaking into the election commission office.

He said he had looked over the former sheriff’s office facility in the county courthouse as an alternative and said it would be good because of the size of the office, its proximity to the county clerk’s office, and ramp access to the rear parking lot.

«The only thing I would want removed is one temporary, non-load-bearing wall they have as a partition,» Soffer said Wednesday. «We could conduct training at the Reynolds Center, but right now that’s the only fix that I can see because we cannot continue — in fact my advice tonight from a lawyer was to keep the front door open on this room. She was that concerned.»

In addition to the health problems presented by mold, a letter prepared for Gerald Robinson, the county judge, regarding the problem also noted that previous high levels of moisture in the building had resulted in 300 iVotronic voting machines being decertified because of corrosion on the motherboards.

Commissioner Ted Davis objected to Soffer calling in an air-quality technician without consulting with the rest of the commission and voted against sending a letter to the county judge on those grounds, but commission Chairman Michael Adam cast the deciding vote to send the letter.

«To take a company’s materials and send it over to the judge as opposed to indicating specifically that bids have to be gathered to do this work, I think that’s one of the things we have to look at,» Davis said.

Adam pointed out that if any decision was made to purchase anything, that decision would be up to the county judge.

«We didn’t offer to pay for it and in fact, I think commissioner Soffer said he would have them meet with the county judge,» Adam said. «I think that’s the appropriate situation because we’re not going to buy that.»

Contacted on Thursday, Robinson rejected the idea of the election commission moving to the old sheriff’s office, saying he already had plans for it.

«If they want to meet in the Quorum Court meeting room, I can allow that,» Robinson said. «But I have plans for that room so that’s out.»

Robinson said he didn’t know if there might be another building owned by the county that might be available and suitable for the election commission’s needs.

«That’s one of the things that I’m going to be looking at,» he said.

State Desk on 11/11/2019

source https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/nov/11/mold-growth-has-election-panelists-hunt-1/

Ceiling collapses after tenants say management failed to fix bathroom leaks in Bedford Park — News 12 Bronx

A family in Bedford Park was left dealing with a big mess in their home after their bathroom ceiling came crashing down.

The De Jesus family says that there first was a leak, and then suddenly the ceiling crashed down. Their bathroom was left covered in water, Sheetrock, plaster and mold.

They couldn’t use the bathtub or even the toilet.

The apartment on the Grand Concourse is home to Janet De Jesus, her disabled husband and 1-year-old grandson. They say they’re upset and frustrated.

Janet De Jesus says it isn’t the first time it happened. She says there was a prior leak in the bathroom that was covered in plaster, and says that’s why this happened again.

While News 12 cameras were there, a man came to fix the damage. The building super offered an explanation, saying there was just one leak that would be fixed and covered with Sheetrock.

But the De Jesus family says putting Sheetrock over the mold and damage just isn’t enough.

.News 12 reached out to the landlord of the building for comment but has not yet heard back. The Department of Buildings said it has not received any 311 complaints about the apartment — but the family says they did submit a complaint.

source http://bronx.news12.com/story/41299288/ceiling-collapses-after-tenants-say-management-failed-to-fix-bathroom-leaks-in-bedford-park