Housing Office Ratchets Up River Pines Inspections

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Housing Office Ratchets Up River Pines Inspections

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By JOHN W. ALLMAN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 7, 2007

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBY7ZMNM2F.html

`TAMPA - Residents at River Pines Apartments have been dealing with

mold problems for years.

Despite property managers denying mold is a serious issue,

inspection reports for Section 8 units at the apartment complex show

that mold has been cited in certain units since 2005.

Former residents say it goes back further, and it presents a major

problem for senior citizens who live there and are expected to clean

it up.

" Some of the apartments you would go in were just black, " said

Margaret Wild, a former resident who also worked at River Pines from

April 2000 to February 2002. " I lived there. I know how the mold

was. You had to tackle it daily, and some of those people who lived

there were in wheelchairs. They couldn't do it daily. "

Rivers Pines is owned by the Tampa Housing Authority and managed by

the private firm Rath Harper and Associates, which contracts with

the authority to oversee daily operations. The company receives 4

percent of the rents collected.

Since March, Fred Rath, the company's president and a former Tampa

housing commissioner, has said mold is not a serious problem at

River Pines, which is off 40th Street in northeast Tampa.

Because of its location along the Hillsborough River and its

concrete block composition, the property is susceptible to mold and

mildew.

Tenants at River Pines must sign an addendum to their leases stating

they will be responsible for keeping their apartments clean and free

of moisture, which causes mold. The addendum also says tenants must

make repeated efforts to remove mold before calling the management

office.

" Rath Harper has the audacity to say that people have to clean their

own mold, " said Harvey Rossnagle, a former tenant who now lives in

New Jersey. " Can you imagine an 80-year-old person having to clean

mold off their ceiling? "

Rossnagle, 63, lived at River Pines with his wife from October 1999

to October 2004. He also worked for Rath Harper on-site. The average

age of residents at River Pines is 73.

" If mold was everywhere, people wouldn't be here, " Judy Carr, vice

president of property management, said during an interview in

March. " Does mold exist in Tampa and our industry? Yes. "

Section 8 reports show that mold has been noted during inspections

in 2005 and 2006.

Tenants in nine apartments at River Pines receive a federal subsidy.

Since 2002, five of those nine units have been cited at least once

each for deficiencies, including mold found in four of the

apartments.

One apartment inspected was cited for mold in 2005 (in the

refrigerator) and 2006 (mold on one or more walls). It is the only

unit to have multiple reports.

Another unit, during a 2006 inspection, was found to have violations

in three rooms, including mold and considerable water damage in the

living room.

" Floor is soaked from upstairs flooding, " the inspection report

states. " Carpet must be vacuumed and dried. "

Section 8 Housing

River Pines is not public housing, but the 300-unit retirement

community participates in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development's housing choice voucher program, also known as Section

8.

Other problems cited in the inspections include inoperative air-

conditioning systems, leaky plumbing, and chipped and peeling paint.

Those problems date back as far as 2002.

The Tampa Tribune had requested the Section 8 inspections last week,

but the housing authority did not make them available until

Wednesday.

Housing authority President Jerome s issued a statement

Wednesday night about the Section 8 inspections. He said all

violations were fixed within 30 days.

" The housing authority is aware of all Section 8 inspections,

deficiencies and repairs and subsequent reinspections, " he said.

Since 2005, the authority has contracted with McCright and

Associates of Chattanooga, Tenn., to conduct inspections of its

Section 8 units. The contract, which runs through February, pays

$210,000 a year.

Before 2005, housing authority staff conducted the inspections.

At River Pines, Section 8 units have been inspected annually by

property managers and an independent inspector, Rath's spokeswoman

Deanne said.

Units that are not Section 8 have not.

The majority of tenants at River Pines instead were given the option

at lease renewal to have their carpets cleaned and any maintenance

issues resolved, said last week. did not return

calls for comment Wednesday.

That policy is about to change, however. said every

apartment will now receive an annual, physical inspection.

Residents Complain Of Treatment

The Tribune began reporting on the property in February and

published its first story in late April. Residents had complained to

the paper about poor living conditions, including mold. They cited

other issues, as well. Some said they had been treated

disrespectfully by property managers. Other seniors said maintenance

workers had charged them out of pocket to make repairs that should

have been covered in the lease.

In early May, in response to a story in the Tribune, Rath had his

staff inspect all 300 units. He said they found only " three little

areas of mold. "

Two weeks later, on May 22, his company submitted a 59-page report

to the housing authority that identified problems at 144 units,

including 40 apartments with mold and 15 with air-conditioning

issues.

None of the units cited for mold in Rath's report matched those

cited in the Section 8 inspections.

At the May 22 meeting, Rath told the housing board that one

preventive measure against mold is for residents to run their air

conditioners a few hours each day. However, he said, many residents

can't afford to do that.

Rath also told the board that his company is instituting new

policies, including semiannual inspections for each unit.

s wanted more, however, and last week he told Rath to revamp the

company's inspection process and include a more detailed description

of problems, such as the severity of mold.

" I know Jerome and his staff are on it, and they will be responsive

to the report, " Mayor Pam Iorio said Monday, when asked about

problems reported at River Pines. " Knowing and how he

operates, I suspect in the future he will be much more proactive in

making sure that such problems don't accumulate before being brought

to the attention of the authority. "

Reporter W. Allman can be reached at (813) 259-7915 or

jallman@....