All that glitters is not mold

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All that glitters is not mold

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/06/25/columnists/mark_kiesling/2145

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BY MARK KIESLING

Times Columnist

nwitimes.com - Munster,IN

The house isn't an oldie, but it's certainly a moldy.

Bill and Kathie moved from Calumet City to their newly built

Roselawn home in 2003. In October, they abandoned the building,

turning it back over to their mortgage company in lieu of

foreclosure.

The proliferation of toxic mold has made the home unlivable, and the

couple had to leave all their contaminated furniture, including

sentimental antique pieces like Bill's late mother's rocking chair.

I wrote about their plight in May 2004, a year after they'd moved in

and about 11 months after they first found the mold, which turned

out to be strachybotrys, a water activity mold that is not only

allergenic but toxic.

At that time, they were still hopeful things were all going to work

out for them. Now, they're living happily in a new home in Crown

Point, at least as happily as they can given the fact that they have

a pending lawsuit against the builder and no one from the state or

the county seems to want to help them.

The builder blamed Bill and Kathie, saying they did not know how to

take care of a house. But his Calumet City home never had these

problems, nor does his new home in Crown Point.

There is a state law warranting newly built homes, but the state

attorney general's office told Bill he would have to file a civil

suit himself if he thought he'd been rooked. Bill said the law was

useful only as toilet paper. Well, that's not exactly what he said,

but you get the point.

Newton County, where Roselawn is located, gave the house an

occupancy permit. Within a year, the found mold on their

walls, in their garage and even growing on their shoes in their

bedroom closet.

But a Newton County judge tossed out a suit against the building

department.

The county's tax board of appeals found on Sept. 28, 2005, that it

could " not find the damage shown in the photos " Bill had taken, but

on the third page of its report they say " no obvious attempt has

been made to remedy the problems. "

Are there problems or aren't there? A home inspection firm says

there are in a Feb. 27, 2004, report. Two construction firms, one

from and one from DeMotte, want $142,000 and $105,000

respectively to repair the problems the Newton County board can't

find.

" That's basically the price of the house, " Bill said. " The only

thing that's worth anything is the dirt the house sits on. Who's

going to buy it? What are they going to pay? "

The answer is nothing. Unless the market for toxic mold goes up

drastically.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at

markk@... or (219) 933-4170.