Gift shop closes due to mold problems

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Gift shop closes due to mold problems

By KARI COBHAM

Staff Writer

http://www.news-

journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Business/Headlines/03BusinessBIZ0

2121705.htm

Daytona,FL

Last update: December 17, 2005

FLAGLER BEACH -- Colleen Intihar dreamed about opening a quaint

store in Flagler Beach that shoppers would love to visit.

She leased what she thought was a perfect site close to the water,

which she cleaned, refurbished and transformed into Tangerines Gift

Shoppe. Today, she sits helplessly by as her store closes and

thousands of dollars worth of goods are dumped.

" These are my dreams being packed away, " Intihar said tearfully. " I

have to turn people away and tell them I'm closed. "

According to Intihar, 39, when she purchased the Central Avenue shop

in September, she inherited more than inventory. There was mold

inside the walls, the ceiling and in the air. Intihar operated for

weeks unaware of the severity of the problem.

But then her landlords also were unaware until Intihar finally told

them.

Regina Clemons and Worthington both said that although Intihar

did notify them of structural issues she was having with the shop,

they waited to begin repairs at her request. They are still waiting,

they say.

" We do have the responsibility to make those repairs, but we have to

have the access to do that, " Worthington said.

Intihar, who also is a licensed aesthetician, first noticed the

wooden wall in the backroom of the shop bowing outward. Her first

impression was that it was a cosmetic issue, harmless and easily

fixed. In anticipation of Christmas shoppers, Intihar postponed

repairs. By November, her voice was gone and the symptoms began.

" All of a sudden my whole life has been turned upside down, " said

Intihar, a resident of Beverly Beach. " I can't eat, I can't

function, I can't do anything. "

Before October, the mother of three said she had never been

seriously ill. She now suffers from respiratory problems, memory

loss, hair loss, headaches and fatigue from being exposed to the

mostly airborne toxic mold.

With the help of Tidball, president of Florida Mold Patrol,

Intihar collected samples from certain areas of the store. She then

sent the samples to a lab. Tests pointed to unusual mold conditions.

Greg Fisher, a certified indoor environmentalist and mold

remediator, acknowledges that although mold may not be visible, it

can still cause physical discomfort, particularly in Florida where

dampness often sets in.

" It's a matter of dosage and exposure just like any poison, " Fisher

said.

" Spores are in the air all the time, it's just a matter of it

landing in a place (it) can grow, " said Fisher, who also is the

president of Air Quality Services LLC in Daytona Beach. " You have to

make sure the exterior of the structure is watertight. "

The mold problem also has strained Intihar's relationship with the

owners of the building, Clemons, her husband , and

Worthington.

While Intihar made a porch project of moving her goods from the

store to nearby storage Wednesday, Worthington and Regina Clemons

arrived with lawyer Murray. An obviously distraught Intihar

denied their request to work from the back porch to keep the front

of the building eyesore-free for other nearby tenants. Their

eventual departure left Intihar sobbing in frustration.

According to Clemons, she was unaware of the mold problem, which

would have been discovered and dealt with if they had the

opportunity to get into the building.

" If you don't know what problem exists, you can't take care of it, "

said Clemons.

The two business partners also own several other refurbished

properties adjacent to Tangerines, none of which have had any

noticeable mold problems.

Other tenants interviewed were satisfied with Clemons and

Worthington's responses to complaints.

Since the unusual spate of hurricanes last year, mold continues to

be a problem in Flagler Beach. The Flagler Beach Police Department

was forced to vacate its building in April 2004 after having

structural and health issues similar to Intihar's.

kari.cobham@...