Out-Of-Town Family Finds Black Mold In Their Hotel Room

October 11, 2005

POSTED: 4:41 pm EDT October 10, 2005

UPDATED: 6:17 pm EDT October 10, 2005

VIDEO: Family From Out Of Town Complains Of Mold In Hotel Room

PINEVILLE, N.C. -- A family from New York blew the whistle on a

Holiday Inn Express in Pineville after they spotted mold in their

hotel room. The health department has started an investigation.

Doug Trinkle took home video of the black mold found in their hotel

room.

" There was mold up and down the wall, " he said. " You couldn't

even ... go into the room and not notice it. Plus, the room smelled

musty. I mean, it smelled like mold. "

Trinkle said when he first complained about the mold, he was given

another room. But he said that room had mold in it, too. That's when

he took out his home video camera to document the mold. Yet, when he

spoke with the hotel manager about it, Trinkle said she asked his

family to leave the hotel.

The black mold captured on his home video also captured the

attention of the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

Eyewitness News showed it to Inspector Lynn Lathan. She said the

presence of this kind of mold can be a health hazard and could

jeopardize any hotel's lodging permit.

Some hotel guests said they'd seen no mold, but said the hotel

shouldn't have knowingly let anyone in a room with mold.

" If they knew about it, it's not acceptable. If they didn't, then

they just need to fix it, " said hotel guest Nolan.

The hotel's manager declined to discuss the allegations of mold in

rooms, but health inspectors are already planning to take a look

themselves.

" We'll go out and see what we see, do an investigation, try to see

if we can find the source of the problem and let them know what they

need to do to make the corrections, " said Lathan.

Mold thrives in warm, damp and humid conditions. Exposure can cause

allergic reaction, asthma and respiratory issues like shortness of

breath or stuffiness.

If you have mold or mold spoors indoors, it is almost impossible to

eradicate. Controlling moisture is the best defense.

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