So my husband and I were discussing (via text and notes considering my voice is out completely) my problems as of late and realized thta they kicked in right around the time it started raining heavily and we noticed the leak in the roof. He told me he suspects that there is mold in the house (insulation, basement and maybe even the walls) and he thinks it is making me sick. While we were talking I went into Cody's room to put up some of his clothes that he had neglected to put up and noticed a large section of his ceiling that was not looking very good at all. In fact I could easily see the insulation .. I'll include a pic so you know what I mean.
So i'm calling our local housing authority in the morning and making a doctor's appointment for myself so that I can either rule out or prove our theory. I hate to say it but I know my land lady can not afford to fix a bad roof, and there is no way I'm staying here if it's making me sick and if the repairs are not going to be done. It does put me in quite the terrible spot, because I hate to be negative about the situation but I really dont' think she is going to get the repairs done. She told us the other day that we are the only renters from whom she gets reliable payment.
We know we aren't going to buy the house though. Now if she fixes the roof .. maybe but I want it to be done by a reputable contractor and not the guy she has working on stuff for her right now. He's just one of her tenants who is so far behind in his rent that he's working it off. I don't know about her other houses but we have a very very long list of things to get done.
And I feel bad. She just called tonight asking if we can get her the paymetn for April a few days early because tomorrow is her birthday and she needs groceries. Technically not a big deal except we had agreed that she would get paid from the first paycheck of each month. We already agreed to pay her a paycheck early and now she needs it even earlier.
I just have to be ruthless. This is deplorable. We are paying way too much for conditions such as these. We are paying some of the hightest rent payments on a house that does not deserve it. I'm really disappointed, but very happy that we didn't get roped into buying this place before living in it. I really think everyone should be able to live in any house they consider buying for at least a year before going through with the purchase. ON a funny note, we went for a drive and noticed that the house we almost got last year is for sale again .. hmmm who knows lol.
The "pink walled room" is my room. We can't even let the kids back there really nor can we use our back half of the room. The windows are those in the front room and we had to winterize them ourselves because they were costing us so darn much from heating bills.
One last question. These pics are from our front room. Does it look like they've tried to cover up past water damage to you. Now that I look closely it kinda does to me. I'm obsessing I know. It's bad when I do that. I guess that's one of my many flaws. When I get started on something I'm kinda like a rabid dog.
Ok now I'm really freaking out. I have read articles saying that mold can cause weight gain, Attention disorders, skin irritation and number of other things.
Well just recently we've been having major problems with Cody's behavior and he failed 2 tests this week. His teacher and I were trying to figure out what it could be but we had no clue. Floyd has had a few skin beak outs and I have this now. Add that to my inability to lose the weight, and a few attention issues as of late and I'm kinda freaking out. I'm making a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning
Jess, that is most definitely mould. My son, Tony, bought their house 4 years ago and later discovered a mould problem in the lower level only. I just called him for his costs. Here's what he told me:
Pre-inspection $2000 Professional Mould Re mediators $22,000 Waterproofing exterior walls, half the house $9,200 Whole new roof $4800 Post inspection $700
Jess, Tony's problem was much lighter than the ones pictured. He said to tell you "get out!!". Mould definitely can cause health problems, especially in little ones and the elderly. It isn't something to trifle with under any circumstances. Good luck!! Keep us posted.
Jessica, I'm like a rabid dog too when I'm pursuing an issue!
Black mold is the worst mold, and it looks like you have that. Also, it seems clear to me that evidence of water damage has been painted over...
If it were me, I would tell my landlady that my children's health is of primary importance to me, and that these conditions are intolerable. I would also WITHHOLD my next rent payment unless and until signifigant measures are taken to make roof repairs.
The problem with having her address any of this is that it has to be done by proper experts, or it can be made worse. I would definitely think about moving immediately. In the meantime, you might try to minimize the problem somewhat (although it isn't really a complete fix) by putting bleach in a spray bottle, and spraying any area where you see mold.
Open the windows, and wear a mask...
-- Edited by Moore ideas at 10:19, 2008-03-28
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Thank you guys all so much. I jave been bleaching, scrubbing, cleaning the whole nine yards all morning and then on my way home from taking hubby to work I called the realtor we were working with before we came across this crazy mess. There is a house about 2 blocks from here for lease After an application we can start the process of moving in immediately granted we are approved etc... This house is through an actual real estate company. They actually have money! So when/if something happens we have help.
I called the county housing authority and you will not believe this. Apparently the program that is supposed to be there to help people move in emergency situations such as ours has been put on hold. The only other option is public housing for which there is a long long wait list and well I'm not doing public housing anyways.
I've been talking to my grandma and we might end up looking to buy something instead. Not exactly sure. We just know it's time to get out ... run .. and fast. Cody and I have doctor's appointments Monday to get tested because I want documentation.
It's all making sense now. She wanted us to buy this house and wasn't going to do a contract for deed, and now we know why. I think she wanted to pawn it off on the first young couple that came by. I really think she is way too old to be doing this because she just can't handle the up keep. I'm not saying she hasn't had work done, but I am almost certain that she had a friend do it or a tennant who has screwed her over hard core, cut corners and definitely was not a professional.
There's an aroma therapy oil you can use called "Medieveal Mix" or "Thieves Mix" and it helped thieves in medieval times keep the plague away when raiding a village that was infected. This works well against the effects of mold but will not ultimately kill it dead but at least it won't be near as harmful.
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Jess, GET OUT OF THERE. Even if you have to temporarily move to an apartment or something until you find something you like, I suggest getting out of there immediately.
