Re: Got any ideas or suggestions on what I should do next about mold problems in my

[Guest guest]

KC,

Because this person lives in Texas, mold issues about identification,

assessment, remediation and verification are governed by Texas law.

Refer them to the Attoney General's web site " What Consumers Should

Know About Mold: "

http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/mold_remed.shtml

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

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> Got any ideas or suggestions on what I should do next about mold

> problems in my unit? Please write me - I live in a homeowners

> association in Austin, Texas

>

> September 23, 2006

> AHRC News Services - San Capistrano,CA

>

> American Homeowners Resource Center (AHRC)

>

>

> By F B

>

> http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src/news/sub/qa/action/ShowMedia/id

> /3146

>

>

> Austin, Texas -

> I have been fighting my Homeowners Association for over a decade. I

> hired a lawyer and licensed mold inspector a year and a half ago, it

> seems they are out for themselves.

>

> The last comment I got from my mold guy, while waiting for a

> rebuttal report from the other side... he stated, " Why should I

> write the report, if you are not going to sue! "

>

> After the shock wore off and looking back at the work that has been

> done by both of these men... I know I've been set up. They have

> essentially done as little as possible to cover themselves, but also

> have stated, " Look, we've done the work... the other side hasn't

> responded properly, you just need to sue. "

>

> Of course if I sue, they get more money...

>

> Do any of you have any suggestions on what I should do next on these

> mold problems?

>

> Many close friends think I should clear out of my unit, get an

> appartment, then sell at a loss to an investor (with of course full

> disclosure). Got any ideas or suggestions?

>

> Please write me back. Thank you.

>

> The following is my experience whith homeowner association

> management companies:

>

> The Scourge

>

> Management companies are the scourge of the Homeowner Association

> corporations, especially the ones involved with the Community

> Associations Institute CAI and/or any other factions related to the

> CAI.

>

> Yes, they can take care of some things, but there should be a law

> about the specifics that they are and are not allowed to do.

>

> Manager's Preferred Vendors

>

> Here at the complex I live in, our manager's motto (sales pitch!) is,

> " I'll save the complex money! " . He then uses his own venders to do

> maintenance and repairs (if you want to call what they actually do,

> termed as " repairs " !

>

> Using the HOA Board to cover liabilities

>

> If you confront the venders about their patch jobs, they in turn say,

> " We don't do what we know is right, we do as we are told by your

> board! " .

>

> In my situation, those " repairs " have been nothing but

> continuous " patch jobs " (confirmation was given to me by an engineer I

> was forced to hire), which has resulted in repeated leaks from storms

> into my unit (for over a decade!) and now certified black mold has

> been found .

>

> HOA Board shifts responsibilites to the Manager

>

> Each and every board through the years that I have approached about

> either the complexes and/or my problems, has literally given their

> power away to the manager. He states to them that they don't have to

> " worry " about certain matters, that he's " an expert " . What happens in

> far too many cases, is the boards essentially give their power away

> and only listen to the manager (I have seen it too many times where

> they will defer their comments and major decisions to the manager!).

>

> Require Board Training

>

> I feel that if any HOA boards are going to hire a management company

> because they are either naive and/or too complacent to do the work

> themselves, then I feel there should be some type of federal law in

> effect that requires anyone who wants to be a board member be required

> to go through comprehensive training for that privilege (not be

> allowed as a board member for the prestige only!.

>

> The training should cover; all the HOA laws, insurance, their duties

> and responsibilities for choosing to be on a board, people skills, how

> to seek out venders, insurance companies, etc., investments, what they

> should and should not do to protect not only " their " homes, but

> especially the homes of the community that they are " suppose " to be

> concerned about, not " just " protecting themselves and the interests of

> the manager, his venders, his lawyer, his insurance company, etc. The

> sales pitch that gets people in HOA's are a twisted lie.

>

> They tell you that when you buy into a " community " and pay a monthly

> dues, that you don't have to worry about maintenance, repairs and

> other things. The truth is, the board and hired manager has all of the

> control legally, whether or not things actually get " repaired "

> properly... A non-suspecting person who believes the sales pitch,

> completely gives up their right to have anything done properly, that

> is considered by the bylaws " common areas " and is suppose to be the

> association's responsibility.

>

> I could go on... but frankly I'm disgusted, dazed and confused why

> people who placed themselves in a position to supposedly " help " others

> are more intent on helping themselves... That wasn't the way I was

> raised... something has to change!

>

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