Mold Infestation Leaves Vacant Condo Units In Foreclosure Uninhabitable; Create Health Concerns For Residents In Surrounding Apartments

In Land O' Lakes, Florida, WTVT-TV Channel 13 reports:

• When two condo units at Glendale Villas in Land O' Lakes went into foreclosure, neighbors were understandably concerned about their own property values. That was last spring. Now, people who live close to units 3 and 4C say property values are the least of their concerns. "This is people's health. These are people's lives, how do you put a price on that," said Andrew Holsinger. The problem is that both units are covered, floor to ceiling, in mold.

• "These particular units in this association are the worst I've ever seen," said Kathy Bramhall, who manages the complex for a company called Condominium Associates. "The units are uninhabitable and would cause respiratory problems for anyone living in a surrounding unit."

• Not long after the units went into foreclosure, there was a sewage leak. That in turn caused the mold to start growing out of control. After numerous complaints, the Pasco County Health Department sent an inspector, and the county ordered that the sewage be cleaned up. [...] Code enforcement officers are legally prohibited from entering private property, and as a result, they are powerless to do anything to force the former property owner or the bank that will soon own the units to clean up the mold.

For the story, see With foreclosure, concern over mold.