Nov 2, 2007 10:18 am US/Eastern
Mold Forces Tenant To Leave
AVENTURA (CBS4) ―
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Mold In Aventura Unit
CBS
Less than three weeks after moving into her rented unit at the Aventura Marina in north Miami last October, Lisa Glode-Ingram started seeing mold growing on the walls.
"It was gross. That's the best word to describe it," she said.
She documented the mold and mildew and presented it to her attorney, Brad Kelsky, who then terminated her lease.
"H
aving handled dozens and dozens of these cases," said Kelsky, "this is some of the worst and highest quantities of mold I have ever seen."
The mold started in the shower apparently from a leaky faucet. Lisa claimed it spread from the bathroom to her closet. It was even hiding behind the baseboards.
She is asthmatic. Her son is two years old. The negative effects mold has on people's health was sufficient reason for Lisa to want to leave.
"My son's safety and my own are obviously my top priority," she said.
But now Lisa may face a bigger problem than just mold. Her landlord still wants her to honor her lease.
When
CBS4 contacted the landlord by phone, he mentioned the tenant never spoke up about a mold problem right away, which may have delayed workers from fixing it, which Lisa contends was not the case.
For now, the dispute is between the tenant and the landlord, and all the while Lisa feels she lost a beautiful place to raise her child.
She said, "It's very family oriented. There's a lot of children that live in that building. I was really hoping this was my new home to begin my new life, be with my son for a very long time."
Work is being done on the unit to get rid of the mold. At the moment, Lisa said she doesn't feel comfortable moving back in.
In cases like these, attorneys always suggest documenting with pictures whenever discovering mold in a residence and then advising a landlord or homeowner's association.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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