Bank pledges to clean house

[Guest guest]

Bank pledges to clean house

Friday, July 27, 2007

nwitimes.com - Munster,IN*

BY PHIL ROCKROHR

Times Correspondent

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/07/27/news/illiana/doc8b1175f95f02a

b06862573240080a562.txt

LANSING | The owner of an Oakley Avenue home that neighbors said is

filled with mold has pledged to clean the house and sell it as soon

as possible.

Chase Bank, which foreclosed on the previous owners of 18436 Oakley,

took the house off the market to seek bids for the removal of water

in the basement and any other necessary repairs, bank spokesman Tom

said.

" We got bids yesterday to do repairs, including addressing the water

issue in the basement, " said. " We expect to move on that

quickly. "

An open house scheduled for last Saturday and Sunday was canceled

when bank officials discovered the condition of the house's

interior, said Mark Fiebig, Lansing's building commissioner.

" They did not even open it up, " Fiebig said. " The asset manager said

they're not opening it up like that. They fired the real estate

agent doing the job. They told me they would get somebody in there

by (last Wednesday) to extract an inch of water in the basement. "

Fiebig confirmed that he saw the water in the basement through a

window but said he was unable to see mold inside the house -- as

neighbors have alleged -- even while using a flashlight.

said he wasn't certain if the house contains mold, but the

bank will clean it if it is found inside.

" We need to get the house in good shape to get somebody to buy it, "

he said. " It's only logical that we would improve it. "

confirmed that Chase terminated its contract with the Realtor

previously selling the house. He said he believes bank officials

were not aware of the house's condition until Fiebig contacted them.

Residents of the 18400 block of Oakley complained to The Times last

week about the house, which they said has been vacant since June

2005. They said federal, state, county and local officials told them

no laws exist regulating mold in Illinois.

The residents said the mold is causing respiratory problems for

neighbors and relatives with asthma and emphysema.

Illinois Assistant Attorney General Hausrath said Thursday

the attorney general's office has not launched a formal

investigation of the house, as residents reported last week.

However, Hausrath said she contacted Lansing officials to make sure

they are aware of the problem.

" I intend to follow up with a phone call to the owner or the village

again, " she said. " Unfortunately, there aren't any statutes that

regulate mold in the state of Illinois, if it doesn't impact any

other issues. "

[Guest guest]

Reading between the lines I think they plan to simply pump the water out and

scrub and paint the visible parts of the walls, then sell it.

After all..

>They said federal, state, county and local officials told them

no laws exist regulating mold in Illinois.