Guest guest Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 Couple takes homebuilder to court Last updated Mar 3 2004 08:26 AM EST _CBC News_ (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html) OTTAWA – An Ottawa couple is suing a local builder for $2 million over mould in their new home, but they face a long wait for their day in court. Somerville and her husband Alan Greenberg bought a new house in August 2000 from Ashcroft Homes. They moved to an apartment last October, after Somerville was diagnosed with asthma and sick building syndrome. They blame Ashcroft for their hardship. Somerville hoped to host parties in her dream home. Instead, when she gives a tour she wears what looks like a hazardous-materials suit with a gas mask. She says the suit is to protect her from breathing in mould spores, or taking them away on her clothes. Her doctor believes mould is what gave her coughing fits and itchy eyes when she lived there, and it's why she moved away. " I was afraid, and we were afraid, if I continued, just how bad my health might get. " Somerville and her husband claim in court documents that their home had defects: a flaw that let water into the basement, and a heating and ventilation system that's too small for the house. * AUDIO: _CBC reporter Burgess looks at the story of Somerville and Alan Greenberg_ (http://ottawa.cbc.ca/clips/Ottawa/ram-audio/homemould20040303.ram) , in conversation with Ottawa Morning host Germain [Runs 9:20] They say those defects led to mould. Their case goes to court next September. But Somerville fears rent and lawyers will drive them into bankruptcy before then. They were hoping their MPP could get them an earlier court date. But Jim says politicians can't intervene in the courts. And he says the backlog that's caused the delay is the purview of the attorney general. It would be his responsibility to deal with the backlog in the court system, and he's certainly expressed comment on that in the past. Somerville says she has no hope that mediation with Ashcroft will end their dispute sooner. In court documents, Ashcroft says it delivered the home Somerville and her husband were entitled to. The head of the company, Choo, says he won't talk about the house while the matter is before the courts. But Choo says mould generally happens because of something in the way a homeowner uses the home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 Somewhere in the old messages is a story I tell about a brand new house that had the sheetrock painted with water based paint and was still wet. The house gave me " mold hits " which surprised me since the house was barely even finished and I suspected the paint may have activated spores incorporated into the paper backing on the sheetrock. I didn't believe that paint was the problem since I've used similar paints without getting a " hit " so I took samples of sheetrock and put them in plastic ziplock bag with a little distilled water. The paper backing lit up uniformly with mold. Lots of new houses out there. Lots of new sheetrock full of mold spores. Lots of fresh paint. I predict lots of lawsuits. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 > Somewhere in the old messages is a story I tell about a brand new > house that had the sheetrock painted with water based paint and was > still wet. > The house gave me " mold hits " which surprised me since the house was > barely even finished and I suspected the paint may have activated > spores incorporated into the paper backing on the sheetrock. > I didn't believe that paint was the problem since I've used similar > paints without getting a " hit " so I took samples of sheetrock and put > them in plastic ziplock bag with a little distilled water. > The paper backing lit up uniformly with mold. > > Lots of new houses out there. > Lots of new sheetrock full of mold spores. > Lots of fresh paint. > > I predict lots of lawsuits. > - Unfortunately one problem when building is they let the wood sit there in the rain, etc and is wet when they use it to build. We have a club house where I live and they started it 2 years ago. It sat there for two winters in the elements and we had the worst two years of rain and floods. They didn't do anything the entire summer last year. I heard they were having an inspection and all of a sudden you see a lot of workers trying to finish this clubhouse. I can remember I called the county last year because it was sitting there with black stuff all over the wood and then they quickly added stucco over top of the black problably mold. It is crazy since the people that own the complex are very large contractors in my state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 People are so unaware. That is the problem. After a friend donated extra wood for me to make a walkway for myself in the attic which was particle board and smelled strongly of formaldehyde, another friend said he had some plywood I could have. He cut it to sizes for walkway and brought it over and it was all covered with mold. I didn't know what to say. Some sheets were almost totally black all over, some had some gray areas that were probably just weathered. He said it was wood from a toolshed he had built and then bought a prebuilt one instead so was taking it apart anyway. Apparently he had made toolshed out of plywood and didn't treat it or paint it or anything. When he described it I asked if it was moldy since it sounded like it was plain wood that had been outside for quite awhile but he said no it wasn't. So it was second time I put whole load of wood out to trash that were gifts from people. I'm going to loose friends. I explain, however I wonder if they really understand. > > Somewhere in the old messages is a story I tell about a brand new > > house that had the sheetrock painted with water based paint and was > > still wet. > > The house gave me " mold hits " which surprised me since the house > was > > barely even finished and I suspected the paint may have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2005 Report Share Posted May 7, 2005 people don't understand at all, barb..... & i run into the same thing. its sad-- & i just HOPE it doesn't happen to them, as well. take care, v. [] Re: Canadian Mold Problem People are so unaware. That is the problem. After a friend donated extra wood for me to make a walkway for myself in the attic which was particle board and smelled strongly of formaldehyde, another friend said he had some plywood I could have. He cut it to sizes for walkway and brought it over and it was all covered with mold. I didn't know what to say. Some sheets were almost totally black all over, some had some gray areas that were probably just weathered. He said it was wood from a toolshed he had built and then bought a prebuilt one instead so was taking it apart anyway. Apparently he had made toolshed out of plywood and didn't treat it or paint it or anything. When he described it I asked if it was moldy since it sounded like it was plain wood that had been outside for quite awhile but he said no it wasn't. So it was second time I put whole load of wood out to trash that were gifts from people. I'm going to loose friends. I explain, however I wonder if they really understand. > > Somewhere in the old messages is a story I tell about a brand new > > house that had the sheetrock painted with water based paint and was > > still wet. > > The house gave me " mold hits " which surprised me since the house > was > > barely even finished and I suspected the paint may have FAIR USE NOTICE: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2005 Report Share Posted May 7, 2005 Person who cut and brought wood that was moldy, seemed a little put out that I wasn't going to use it. Problem makes you feel isolated when people don't understand and it is an ongoing problem. > > > Somewhere in the old messages is a story I tell about a brand > new > > > house that had the sheetrock painted with water based paint and > was > > > still wet. > > > The house gave me " mold hits " which surprised me since the house > > was > > > barely even finished and I suspected the paint may have > > > > > > > FAIR USE NOTICE: > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2005 Report Share Posted May 7, 2005 AMEN! ME [] Re: Canadian Mold Problem Person who cut and brought wood that was moldy, seemed a little put out that I wasn't going to use it. Problem makes you feel isolated when people don't understand and it is an ongoing problem. > > > Somewhere in the old messages is a story I tell about a brand > new > > > house that had the sheetrock painted with water based paint and > was > > > still wet. > > > The house gave me " mold hits " which surprised me since the house > > was > > > barely even finished and I suspected the paint may have > > > > > > > FAIR USE NOTICE: > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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