Re: HVAC Mold Inspections

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On 3/06/08, Rem Dude wrote:
> A simple mold inspection prior to moving in to the contaminated apartment could have avoided
> all the problems for this family. But then they would have been out $250 as opposed to
> winning $190K in a settlement.
>
> RD

The fact remains that very few people know that mold is a problem for which there is a need for
inspection.

Just ask about any doctor - mold is unlikely to hurt anyone who isn't immunocompromised from HIV
or advanced cancer or those with unusual pulmonary circumstances. If you don't have any of
these rare health situations, why on earth would anyone test or have the first clue that they
need to test? The common belief is that mold is not a problem - why on earth would people test
for something that isn't a problem?

Like so many other things, you don't know what you don't know until it bites you in the ass. By
the time one does know better, they may already have lost the ability to work and with it the
financial flexibility to break a lease, put down new deposits and hire movers. In my
observation, it's not uncommon for tenants who DO test very often find themselves served with an
eviction notice in retaliation.

It's all well and good for a professional in the field to say what everyone *should* do in
advance of moving into a situation to avert dangers lurking which aren't visible to the
untrained eye - but the rest of us could use a bit of help getting the word out so that people
can know this before they become sick.

Thanks for the after the fact heads up. ;-) Hindsight IS 20/20...

~Haley