Destroyed dreams

[Guest guest]

Health, Heirlooms and Dreams?

For those of us across America that have become Victims of dangerous Toxic Mold, we know the price we have paid. For most of us, the primary loss has been the destruction of our Family's health. Our respiratory systems, immune systems and overall health have been destroyed.

For some of us, we have seen our Family members, Parents, Children and Grandchildren, have uncontrolled bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. We have had to watch as Family members get eye infections, memory loss and have hair loss from the Toxic Mold. You cry yourself to sleep every night.

Almost every documented case of Toxic Mold across America was preventable. Sadly, most in society that could help stop the Toxic Mold, State and Federal officials, insurance companies, builders, banks, realtors and government inspectors, refuse to act. They hold Legislative Hearings on our proposed Legislation and then refuse to listen to our cries for help.

They refuse to acknowledge that Toxic Mold is the byproduct of water and/or extreme moisture. This water/moisture is usually an effect of a busted water or frozen pipe, inferior and/or illegal construction and incompetent home inspections.

The busted or frozen water pipes are usually covered by homeowners insurance. Sadly for many homeowners, insurance companies make piece meal fixes instead of correcting the entire problem. They consider profits more important than consumer protection.

In the inspection issue, Federal and State licensed banks have routinely used local government building inspectors to inspect new construction and/or home improvement loans they have given to developers and builders. This practice creates an immediate conflict of interest because the local government inspector is being paid, usually a lower salary from the community, to inspect for code and safety enforcement.

Across America there are thousands of documented cases where government inspectors having knowingly passed illegal and unsafe construction for banks, realtors, developers and builders. This means that citizens, and their Family's, lose any guarantee of safety.

Most communities and States across America say they are not liable for the acts of their employees. Sadly, in most cases the communities and States know of the illegal and corrupt acts of their employees and go to great lengths to protect them. They all forget that their only job is protecting the citizens, not the criminals they employ and pay with our taxes.

In almost all of these cases, the local or state government derives profits from taxes they levy on the illegal and unsafe construction. These taxes might be levied on your home, the office building you work in, the nursing home a parent is in, the hospital you go to when you are sick or injured or the school your children attend or the Church you worship at.

The illegal and unsafe construction might also be at the Nuclear Power Plant in your community. Maybe the illegal and substandard construction was overlooked in the highway, bridge or tunnel you use on your way to work.

I recently learned of a case in ST. sburg Florida that goes to the heart of the issue. It seems that a family bought an older home that they later learned was built on a low water lot. Water leaked into the home and toxic Mold grew.

When they discovered this they found that to correct the issue would cost more than the home was worth. They sold the home, telling of the Toxic Mold, to a realtor that buys ugly and depressed homes. The lost over two thirds of what they had paid for the home. The land was worth what they sold it for.

This company than sold the home to another realtor/developer. This new company than painted over the Toxic Mold and installed new kitchen cabinets. I'm told by the original owner that as thy left they found mushrooms growing in the home from the moisture.

The new company had paid 20 thousand dollars more than what the first developer paid the original owner. They than sold the home, Toxic Mold and all, to a family. The new family was never informed of the Toxic Mold by the new company. They new company charged a profit of over 40 thousand dollars over what they had paid.

The new family started having health and breathing problems. They have just learned of the Toxic Mold and want their money back. Sadly, Florida, like almost all states, has no lemon laws to protect homebuyers in this type of situation. It becomes a "buyer beware" situation.

For most of us, when we first get married, buying a home is a lifelong dream. We save every penny we can and scrimp on extra "luxury" items like vacations, clothes, food and cars.

Buying a home is the biggest financial investment we will ever make during our lifetime. The home purchase is also an investment in our children's future. We may borrow on the homes equity to send our children onto college or pay for some life saving surgery.

Sadly, there is no protection for our investment. While we can buy insurance to protect us from fires, floods or theft, we are powerless against the biggest threat of all. This threat is corrupt builders and realtors and corrupt private, local and state government building inspectors.

You might think that if there are laws to protect you when you buy a faulty car, appliance or consumer service, you are protected here too. You see you are defenseless against government and white collar corruption.

In Massachusetts I have been trying to get Legislation passed, since 1996, that will put an end to many of these deceptive and illegal acts that have led to Toxic Mold. Sadly, for Massachusetts citizens, the Massachusetts Legislature, Governor's and Attorney General's have decided to protect the illegal acts and wrong doers rather than the citizens.

Ken Moulton