Lack of insurance lessens recourse for many renters

Sunday, July 8, 2001
Mold's effects trouble renters

By Laura Elder
Caller-Times

Erika Thompson lived in this apartment in the Town & Country complex with her two
daughters. Thompson’s family moved out and filed a lawsuit after she found mold growing
in her apartment, including this Tigger wall hanging.

One morning more than a year ago, Erika Thompson woke her daughter Kailyn and was
shaken to find the toddler's pillow and bedcovers spattered with blood. "I was scared,
and I didn't know what happened," said Thompson, who soon learned her daughter's
nose had bled during the night. "I thought it was because she had a cold and had been
blowing her nose." But Kailyn, now 3, continued to have nosebleeds, and Erika Thompson
became increasingly worried. Nosebleeds were not the only ailments that plagued Kailyn
and Erika's other daughter, Alexis, now 2.

At night, Alexis would cough frequently, and Erika Thompson, 21, suffered from constant
headaches. Thompson, a single mother, couldn't figure out what was wrong. Alarmed by her
family's health problems, she turned to the Internet for answers. Not until she began her
cyber search did she believe her family's troubles might lie hidden in the walls of her apartment.
Thompson filed a lawsuit last month in the 28th District Court against her landlord, Town &
Country Apartments, asserting that toxic mold in their two-bedroom dwelling made her family
sick and infiltrated their personal property, including their clothing, furniture, linens, books,
mattresses, toys and shoes. Thompson had hired an attorney, who had a company test the
apartment for molds. Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit is Preis Properties Officials
with Town & Country Apartments. Preis Properties said they had not seen the lawsuit and
declined to comment. The lawsuit claims the $450-a-month apartment the Thompson family
lived in for about two years was infested with aspergillus and penicillium, among other molds
and fungi.

It also claims that the management at the apartment complex at 456 Eldon Drive ignored
Thompson's complaints about mold, except to tell her she could exercise her right to
terminate her lease. Last month, the family moved to another location, but Thompson
wants to be reimbursed by her family's former landlord for moving expenses, increased
monthly rent and the cost of replacing their personal property, among other things.

Problem spreading

The Thompsons' story is becoming familiar. Mold is spreading through homes, universities,
office buildings and apartment complexes, causing panic. It's everywhere, occurring naturally
in the environment and thriving in moist areas. And it's always been around. But publicity has
increased about some toxic molds that can cause health problems. And so have lawsuits
and insurance claims. Adding to the problem is the lack of standards and governmental
regulations regarding mold. Some molds can cause allergic reactions, asthma, bronchitis,
skin rashes, sinus problems and nose bleeds, according to reports. There is scientific debate,
and no standards by which to measure safe or unsafe levels of mold. "It's known that mold
can cause allergy kind of symptoms, but not to everybody," said Kay Soper, a natural resource
specialist with the indoor air quality branch of the Texas Department of Health. "More serious
health effects possibly related to toxic mold has not really been proven." Potentially dangerous
mold even forced the closing of part of the Texas Department of Health's laboratory last year.
It has since reopened.

No reason for hysteria

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there is no reason for
hysteria and that not all molds are dangerous. The centers said reports that show toxic
molds cause adverse health conditions - pulmonary disorders and memory loss
- are rare, and that no causal link has been established between mold and serious illness.
But the center warns that anyone who suspects they have an illness caused by mold
should see a doctor and decide what action to take. Whether toxic mold is hype or hard
science, Thompson said her family's illnesses were very real. When she read about toxic
mold on the Internet, she said her family's symptoms were similar to those reported by
others. And she wasn't about to take a chance. "I was worried about my children," she said.
For apartment owners, mold is a very real problem that doesn't seem to be going away any
time soon. The Corpus Christi Apartment Association, a trade group representing 335
members, is scrambling to deal with the problem. The local organization is a branch of
the Texas Apartment Association. Later this month, the Texas Apartment Association is
expected to vote to add a full-page mold information sheet to lease contracts. The
information sheet will be distributed to its members. The organization also has designed
a response plan it will distribute to its members and is organizing educational seminars
for its members about the matter.

Return to the Mold Articles Page