Grow-op left home contaminated with mould

September 25, 2006

Grow-op left home contaminated with mould: family

CTV.ca News Staff

CTV.ca - Canada

3/20060923?hub=TorontoHome

11-year-old McPherson has trouble breathing in the home his

parents say is contaminated with mould.

The air in the McPherson family's Willowdale home seems to be taking

its toll on 11-year-old and his 16-year-old brother .

In December 2004, neighbours of the family captured video footage of

police officers in hazardous material suits removing a marijuana

grow operation from the house.

Now, more than a year and a half later, the family believes the

house they rent is contaminated with mould that was left behind

after the grow-op was removed.

" It feels like my throat is collapsing and I can't breath properly, "

told CTV Toronto after a coughing fit.

When the family signed the lease and moved in, they said the

landlord told them the house had been used as a greenhouse, but

there was no mention of it being a former grow-op.

" It should have been closed down and never rented out in the first

place -- that's putting my children's health in jeopardy, " said

McPherson, the boys' father.

His wife echoed his comments.

" I feel they've put my children at risk, " she said, adding that by

the time they learned about the house's former use there was little

they could do.

" It was too late. The movers were here, the furniture people were

here. We were moved in. "

The couple called the public health department and reported the

situation, and the landlord was ordered to clean up the mould. The

family claims the house was painted, but the mould didn't go away.

There's no quick fix in sight for the family. They say they don't

have the financial means to move, and their children have just

enrolled in school.

And in the meantime they're in a dispute with the landlord because

they've refused to pay the rent until the situation is fixed.

As a result, they say, the landlord is fighting to have them

evicted.

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