Housing Office Ratchets Up River Pines Inspections

[Guest guest]

Jun 7, 2007

Housing Office Ratchets Up River Pines Inspections

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

By JOHN W. ALLMAN The Tampa Tribune

`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@....

UPGRADING INSPECTIONS

Inspections at River Pines Apartments are changing significantly. Here's what

residents at the retirement community can expect:

Rath Harper and Associates: Annual physical inspections of all 300 units.

Revamped inspection process, per the housing authority. More description of

problems.

Tampa Housing Authority: Increasing its presence on-site at River Pines and

conducting spot inspections of units.