Tenants Express Health Worries

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Tenants Express Health Worries

Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,

By JOHN W. ALLMAN The Tampa Tribune

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBS8460D1F.html

TAMPA - Betty Ann was looking for an affordable place to

live, but she said she should have read the fine print.

An addendum attached to the lease at River Pines Apartments, a

senior housing complex in northeast Tampa, requires new residents to

agree to help prevent mold and mildew.

But and other residents say property managers are not doing

their part to fix problems, including mold.

The property is one of three apartment complexes owned by the Tampa

Housing Authority and managed by Rath Harper & Associates.

The management company receives 4 percent of the total rents

collected at the properties. In 2006, the management company

received $52,800 from that property. As of July, rents ranged from

$360 to $445.

The contract, approved in May 2006, is good for two more years, with

an option to extend it through 2010.

Fred Rath, the company's owner, and Jerome s, housing authority

president, criticized a recent Tampa Tribune story about concerns at

the complex.

Rath, a former housing authority board member, said the complaints

received by the Tribune represent a " very, very minor percentage " of

residents living at the 300 units there.

After the Tribune interviewed Rath on Friday morning, residents were

notified a few hours later that property managers planned to inspect

each unit Monday.

s said such complaints are " nothing new. " He reiterated that his

office has received no calls or written complaints from anyone -

residents, former residents or the public - about the senior complex.

He said everyone he talks to at River Pines is happy.

But people have complained, for years.

Health Concerns

, 63, moved out in October 2006 after developing health

problems she attributes to mold inside her one-bedroom apartment.

Her grandchildren began to complain of health issues such as

coughing and wheezing when they visited, she said.

said she signed the mold addendum, but she said her unit

looked OK when she moved in. About six months later, she said her

apartment flooded because of water rising up around her toilet.

" Shortly after that, the mold started to come, " she said.

Maintenance workers removed the water, she said, but they did not

shampoo the carpet or treat underneath it to prevent mold.

said she asked once for them to come back and shampoo the

carpet, but she did not press the issue when no one arrived.

The reason, she said: On-site managers are rude to residents and

make the elderly afraid to complain.

Her son-in-law, Curtis , 36, has continued to speak out on her

behalf for seven months, contacting city code enforcement

inspectors, the state Department of Health and the state Department

of Business and Professional Regulation.

State health officials responded that they do not inspect for or

regulate mold. They referred him to DBPR, but received no

response.

Initially, his concern was ' health.

" I tried to get her out two months earlier, " said. " I said the

reason she's moving is she has mildew. The management said, 'Well,

that's the tenant's responsibility.' "

River Pines' lease stipulates a 60-day notice for anyone wishing to

vacate their unit and receive a refund on their security deposit.

Now, said, he is worried about others at River Pines, which

accepts only tenants age 55 and older.

Management officials dispute the claims. They blame for not

reporting problems such as mold and for leaving personal items in

the apartment after she moved. They say the carpet was shampooed and

the mold removed.

Vicki Pratt, a city code inspector whose area includes River Pines,

examined ' unit on Nov. 2, 2006. The unit failed the

inspection.

To meet code, management had to: " Replace damaged ceiling in

bathroom. Repair any plumbing leaks. Remove mold and mildew from

walls and ceiling; replace damaged floor covering. Paint with mold

minimizing [Kilz] substance and … paint with approved materials for

concrete surfaces. "

Four other residents have complained to code enforcement about mold

since January 2006. The most recent complaint came in February.

Documents show mold was found in two of the apartments. One

apartment was found not to have mold at the time of inspection. The

fourth inspection was inconclusive.

Pratt, in an e-mail to last week, said mold can occur because

the apartment buildings, which sit adjacent to the Hillsborough

River, are made of concrete block. Units need to be aired out and

kept free of clutter, she said.

" That lies on the occupants' shoulder, " Pratt wrote, citing the mold

addendum.

The document asks residents first to try to clean mold before

reporting it. It says residents must remove moisture inside their

units and clean spills thoroughly. And they must report leaks,

standing water or excessive moisture if seen in either an apartment

or common area.

Recurring Complaints

Loretta White complained to the city this year about mold. She now

lives with her mother because she said her health was deteriorating

at River Pines.

City records show her unit was inspected on Jan. 10 for " mold and

mildew. " The report says that the bedroom had been painted with mold-

minimizing paint and a dehumidifier had been put inside to remove

moisture.

White, 57, said nothing helped.

Joe Villani still lives at River Pines. According to apartment

records, he has complained to property managers for a year about a

persistent ceiling leak in his bathroom that he said soaks his floor

and produces mold.

" Everybody is so scared to say something because we don't have

anywhere to go, " said the U.S. Air Force veteran, who moved to River

Pines in 2001. " The real problem is the mold and their solution is

to paint over it. "

Another resident, Simuel , said he regularly pays out of

pocket for cleaning supplies that he can't afford to combat mildew

in his efficiency apartment.

" I have complained about the mold, " he said, which was evident on

walls and in his closet during a March visit. " They know it is here.

They tell you that's not their problem. It's your problem. "

Management's Responsibility

In September 2004, Rath received a letter from Lillie Bell, who has

several relatives living at River Pines.

Her main concern, in addition to rent increases, was the treatment

of residents and visitors by Rath's employees.

" My mother lives in these apartments and I don't say much to the

people in the office because I don't want her mistreated because of

anything I may say to them, " Bell wrote. " My experience with your

staff has not given me a warm, welcome feeling. They speak to

nonresidents so cold and uncaring, which makes me wonder about how

they speak with the tenants. "

Ten days later, Rath responded.

" I know that at times all residents are not going to be happy with

management, particularly when they have to enforce rules, " he

said. " I also know that the staff we have at River Pines is

excellent. "

Such complaints don't always make it to the housing authority. s

said he also wasn't notified about the city inspections.

Nor should he have been, s said.

" That's why you pay a management fee, " he said. " I don't see why

they should have contacted us as long as they took care of the

problem. "