Bank boards up mold house

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Bank boards up mold house, 3rd auction canceled

By Don sson

PEPPERELL -- continues to be amazed at the events

unfolding at her family's mold-infested 20 ee Road house since

serious illness forced her to move out --events that seem at odds

with what she is told when she speaks with representatives of the

bank that holds the mortgage.

Now jobless and living in a nearby apartment, the former private

chef has become a national activist for mold legislation and runs

the non-profit Mold Relief Inc. to help fellow victims forced from

their homes by creeping fungus.

Last month, she was tipped off by former neighbors that two

unidentified men had broken into the small duplex, broke cellar

windows, carried out pieces of interior sheet rock, and had changed

the locks on the front door.

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She complained to mortgagor, Washington Mutual Bank's Florida office

that the house was standing open to anyone who might want to enter,

and that it represented a danger to children. A bank representative

told her the men had been hired by the bank.

On Oct. 5, spoke with Mathis, an officer at the bank,

who told her the scheduled Oct. 8 auction had been indefinitely

postponed. It was the third auction that had been scheduled. The

previous attempts had been canceled once the auctioneer arrived at

the property then drove away.

Last Friday, Oct. 8, reported, " The house is totally boarded

up. It's my house. This is totally illegal but at least it's safe.

It looks awful, like after a fire. Can you imagine what the mold is

going to look like now? "

She said her husband, Rick, had turned off the gas heat when they

moved out some months ago and that the bank hasn't much time until

the water pipes freeze.

When she spoke with Mathis Oct. 5, said the bank officer told

her the institution was having difficulty getting quotes for repairs

so it can sell the property. asked about disposal plans and

was told the state of Massachusetts goes by New York State level

four guidelines that mandate putting a protective tent over any area

larger than 100 square feet.

" She told me $30,000 to $40,000 to take infected material out and

dispose of it, " said. " I told her we had approximated the cost

of taking the house down, putting in a new foundation and grading

the land at $270,000 for a two-story house.

" She said she'd expedite our file to upper management, "

said. " She truly wants to do the right thing with the property and

there are a lot of varying opinions. At least we know right now

there is no auction. "

told the bank that mold would be present under the siding if

proper barriers hadn't been installed when the house was built.

Interior wall tests, she said, don't go through the siding and

barriers are not present in many spots.

" I don't want to speculate, but these banks are going to have a huge

issue lending money on properties like this and they should check

into it. It's bad business for everyone, " said.

She said Mathis was " very understanding " and wanted to solve the

issue.

" Until we have a law that says you've got to clean this up, mold

will be back because it's a water intrusion and ventilation issue.

The spores that are there only need water and heat. "

expects to pass depositions this month in her non-payment of

mortgage court case. A Washington Mutual Bank representative told

this newspaper it could not comment on the case unless signs a

release form. claims not to have received a form.