Posted by Phares Heindl on 2/13/04

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ASTOR, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman is blaming toxic
mold for stealing her health.
To add to her woes, when a mold removal specialist showed
up, the condition went from bad to worse, WESH NewsChannel
2 reported.

Deborah Calloway, 43, lost part of her lung last year. Her
doctors blame toxic mold.

"[There was] never nothing wrong with me; perfect health. I
was on the go 24-7," Calloway said.

Contractor Micah Bass is working on Calloway's home to get
rid of the mold. Another contractor botched the job, and
that's the problem. Many people decide they know how to get
rid of toxic mold, but Florida doesn't regulate the
industry. Anyone can hang out a shingle and try to get a
mold removal job. The risks are mounting.

Altamonte Springs attorney Phares Heindl represents mold-
affected clients. Because of a lack of state regulation,
here's one safeguard to take.

"One of the things you should look for if you're going to
hire a mold remediatior. Do they have liability insurance?
Because if they don't remediate the home right, someone's
going to have to be held responsible for that," Heindl said.

Those seeking mold removal can also protect themselves by
calling the Better Business Bureau. When a company is
located, references can be checked with past customers. The
same company shouldn't be hired to inspect and remove mold.

By keeping the inspector and removal specialist separate,
experts said customers are more likely to get honest work.

Alan and Deborah Calloway learned the hard way the price of
an industry unregulated.

To comment on this story, send an e-mail to Kathy Marsh.

Click here for WESH news2 and to experss your opinion

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