Worcester Telegram & Gazette: Dudley family flees mold-infested house

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Article published Oct 21, 2006

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Oct 21, 2006

Dudley family flees mold-infested house

Questions arise over 2005 home sale

By Craig S. Semon TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

DUDLEY— A severe case of toxic mold has made a local family abandon their

one-story ranch home, as well as most of their personal possessions, all in

preparation for having their dream house demolished.

Two weeks ago, and Jakubowski left their 169 Klondike Road

home and are now staying with family. The couple bought the home in September

2005. A month after they moved in, they started getting sick.

Mr. and Mrs. Jakubowski have three children, , 9, Clair, 6, and a

5-month-old daughter, Lily. It was commonplace for everyone in the house to

have

cold and/or flu-like symptoms, Mr. Jakubowski said, and their infant has had a

persistent rash since birth.

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NEWS)

“All of us had sinus infections. I get an itching, burning sensation in the

back of my throat,†Mr. Jakubowski said. “On one occasion, my wife and I

woke one morning. We felt so groggy and so in a fog that we thought that we

possibly had carbon monoxide poisoning.â€

Mr. Jakubowski, an electrician by trade, said his wife brought to his

attention a “pine green mold†on the heating register, as well as on her

shoes and

their daughter’s coat.

“I took a flashlight and peeked into the ductwork where the heating register

was and it didn’t look right. And from there, I started opening some of the

closets in the house and the smell just blew me away,†Mr. Jakubowski said.

“

The house always had an old house smell and, with an old house, getting

started, you focus on other things. You don’t really think much of it. I had

no

idea it was as serious as it is.â€

When they inspected the basement, Mr. Jakubowski said they discovered “

white, fluffy type mold†and other “black stuff†in sections of his

basement.

A week-and-a-half ago, Power, of the Worcester-based Commonwealth

Environmental Services, received a call about “possible mold problems†in

their house. What he found is what he called the worst case of mold exposure he

has ever seen in a house where a family is actually living.

“As is typical for us, I went out to take a look at it to see what we were

dealing with,†Mr. Power said. “And, as soon as I got there, I advised them

to vacate the property, immediately, without taking anything with them.â€

Mr. Power said he saw extensive mold spore growth throughout the property,

the attic and the basement, as well as on the family’s clothing and footwear.

“As soon as you open the door, you can feel your throat start to constrict,

literally. It is absolutely ferocious,†Mr. Power said. “As soon as I

walked in, I knew we had a very serious problem.â€

As a result, the entire interior is slated to be gutted and demolished next

week. The family had to leave their possessions behind to be destroyed as

well, Mr. Power said.

“The entire interior of the property is to be gutted and demolished, every

free wall, every ceiling, floor, all their appliances, their clothing, their

toys, everything they own,†Mr. Power said.

Giving his “best guess,†Mr. Power said, the severe mold problem existed

long before the Jakubowskis moved in. On top of that, it is his opinion that

this house should have been in disclosure — not on the buyers’ market.

After being contacted by Mr. Power’s mold-remediation company, Martha

Kneizys, director of microbiology at the Woburn-based Pro-Science Services,

took

mold samples from the premises Oct. 12. She found the spore count so high, they

were coming up as “TNTC†or “too numerous to count.†Mr. Power said a

500-spore mold count or higher is a level of concern. The sample from that

house

with the lowest mold spore count totaled 11,600.

“If you report a number that says TNTC — too numerous to count — that’s

a

big deal,†Ms. Kneizys said. “Under the microscope on an air sample,

penicillium spores and aspergillius spores, you can’t tell them apart … The

fact

mold has grown this much in such a short period of time is just

unbelievable.â€

A home inspection was done prior to the Jakubowskis buying the house.

Believing that someone went to a lot of trouble to cover up the toxic mold, Mr.

Jakubowski is looking into taking legal action on the matter.

“When we went to look at it, the house had been painted on the inside. They

put a new floor down in the bathroom. They even painted the basement walls,â€

Mr. Jakubowski said. “I can’t say for certain that they were hiding

something, but I can’t say for certain that they weren’t.â€

When they found out that the Jakubowskis homeowner’s insurance wouldn’t

cover the testing or the demolition, both Commonwealth Environmental Services

and Pro-Science Services decided not to charge the family. In addition, Mr.

Power is vigorously soliciting contractors and building suppliers to donate

materials, do pro bono work or sponsor the effort.

“My whole family is so grateful of the generosity that has come from our

friends, our family, our community, local organizations, companies,

organizations,†Mr. Jakubowski said. “It is amazing what people will do for

other people.

â€

Those interested in helping out in the effort should contact Mr. Power at

(774) 696-5479 or _rp99@..._ (mailto:rp99@...) .

“You see Extreme Home Makeover on television and they can do it elsewhere in

the country,†Mr. Power said. “Why can’t we do it here in Massachusetts

for

one of our own?â€

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Copyright 2006 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp.