Mold affects apartments in Brockton (MA) complex

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Mold affects apartments in Brockton complex

by Elaine Allegrini, Enterprise staff writer

Mold affects apartments in Brockton complex

By Elaine Allegrini, Enterprise staff writer

(http://enterprise.southofboston.com/)

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. "

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