Mold affects apartments in Brockton complex

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Mold affects apartments in Brockton complex

Brockton Enterprise - MA

http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2006/05/25/news/news/new

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By Elaine Allegrini, Enterprise staff writer

BROCKTON — Guertin's year-long fight to live in a mold-free

environment is nearly over, but she says she will leave the Boulders

apartment complex on Greentree Lane with a heavy heart.

" I cannot sleep at night knowing people are so sick and others are

going to get sick, " said Guertin, 53.

City officials said the complex has had a history of mold problems.

" They've got a problem over there, " said Louis Tartaglia, executive

director of the city's Health Department. " There are concentrations

of mold there. "

Tartaglia blamed water intrusion for the latest mold problems that

have affected several apartments at the 101-unit complex that is now

being converted to condominiums. He noted that mold has been a

problem to some extent since 1996, but the latest issue came to the

attention of his office in February 2005.

One couple was relocated to another apartment, but Guertin remains

in the apartment where mold was again confirmed a week ago,

according to Tartaglia. He said another violation was sent to the

complex manager, Knijia Dingle, on May 18 after an inspection by

Mold Rovers Inc. and the company's mold-sniffing dog, Cosmo.

Dingle did not immediately respond to a request for comment

Wednesday evening.

Dan of Brockton, a former maintenance technician at the

Boulders, confirmed that mold was a problem when he worked there for

more than a year through 2005.

" It was a common complaint that we had throughout the whole place, "

said. " They never really called in a specialist that I was

aware of. What we did was probably minimal, using bleach and water

to try to get rid of it. After cleaning, they always had us paint

over the areas and it seemed to always come back. "

Management had earlier brought in a mold specialist to investigate

the problem, but Tartaglia said his office was not satisfied with

the report.

A rental dispute between the Boulders and Guertin remains in

Brockton Housing Court, where a judge has ordered management to take

care of the mold, Tartaglia said.

" The tenant won the case because they didn't remediate the

apartment, " he said.

Guertin, who is disabled, said there was a court hearing Wednesday

and another scheduled for June 2.

She said she refuses to move to another apartment in the complex

because it has not been certified as mold-free and it is not

handicapped accessible. Instead, she said she awaits emergency

approval for public housing, which she expects soon.

" I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, " she said. " It's just

not fair to the people coming in and buying these units — there's

mold in the walls, everybody has to sleep with the windows open

here. The only comparison is a King novel. "