Re: Fw: re: where to report sewer gas in residence? mold maybe

[Guest guest]

Point well taken. I will contact the Dept of Health and the Dept of

Fair Housing Employment and Housing, if there is no response tomorrow

from the plumber.

I did talk to my cousin who was a Fire Captain for many years in Costa

Mesa, CA. I asked him if I should report the sewer gas to a Fire

Department. He said that he never heard of anyone doing that.

Yes, I can't figure out why the landlord would want a note from my

doctor, really.

We've been in this condo one month and I've spent most of my time

waiting on repair men: handyman, electrician, garage door opener guy,

phone line repair man, and plumber for repairs to gas valve for dryer

and water valve regulator, and repair to dryer vent specialist.

Plus the downstairs guest bath is damp and smells mildewy. The

plumber who stopped by for 5 minuets yesterday wants to open the wall

and see if a pipe is leaking. The rolls of toilet paper that I had

under the sink smell like mildew. The drywall under the sink has

painted over areas that look like they are warped.

A friend of mine advised me to take pictures of the mildewy guest

bathroom tonight before the plumber starts cutting on the drywall. She

suggested that I send photos to the property manager as documentation

so I don't become the scapegoat for reporting the problem.

The property manager has not come out to inspect anything that has

needed repair. She has been condescending and blaming when on the

phone. I yelled at her today and she was unflappable. She did have

someone come over with a HEPA airfilter machine for the bathroom. Hmmm.

I haven't even had time to finish unpacking yet.

Jocelyn

[Guest guest]

Absolutely, take pictures of all things you find/think suspicious.

Sewer gas leak/odor can make you very nauseated & you may even feel a

little confused from breathing that in...keep bathroom vent fan on 24/7

til you get the problem resolved. We had this problem @ our condo..the

culprit was the wax seal under the toilet wasn't placed on

properly..there was supposed to be a " spacer? " (I'm not a plumber!)

under the toilet that was never put on..as a result, our toilet leaked

under our floor, through to the ceiling of the guy below us!

Naturally, the builder didn't take any responsibility, but it was

obvious that he had skimped & cut corners to save a few bucks, which we

ended up having to pay for.

A HEPA air filter?? HA, how 'bout sending you a dehumidifier to dry the

place out..demand one to get rid of excess moisture & to get rid of

musty smell. Good luck...make sure you document EVERYTHING, including

how u feel...never know when u may need it & it always works in your

favor to have dates, times & specifics! Keep us posted!

Hugs, Cheryl

[Guest guest]

Jocelyn,

They sound like old, EXPERIENCED pros at this. Not a good sign for you.

Yes, you do need to take LOTS of pictures and also document (with mold

testing, with the samples sent

it by a third party so it could be accepted as evidence in a lawsuit)

anything you see WELL with pictures, tests, etc. With stachybotrys, you need

to have bulk samples,

it rarely shows up in air tests. Keep that in mind, samples of visible mold

should be done by having your third party collect a small

chunk of it with a knife or on a piece of tape and immediately put in a

sealed ziploc bag. You can photograph. Take a photo of the

sampling location and bag together. Give each one an unique number. They

fill out the chain of custody form, you can enclose a check, and they send

it it.

Be complete. These days landlords are freaking out that buildings are giving

them the returns they had hoped for and are suing

at the drop of a hat. You do not, you don't want to get sued for bringing up

the word mold without

sufficient documentation. Given that they are experienced with putting off

our complaints and stringing you along,

IMO, it doesn't look good for the ultimate resolution in your favor. After a

really hrrible explerience its been my conclusion

that tenants are basically nearly powerless in this situation. By far your

best option is to figure out how to get out of there now.

Even though mold is a health issue, there are no laws against it,

and they have been known to sue tenants who complain about it

for (they say) 'diminishing the value of their property'. Even if you get

sick, getting the resources to sue together is impossible for

most people. Its very expensive, takes years and even if someone dies, etc.

the cards are stacked against you by the system.

If I were you if you anticipate more problems like this AT ALL I would gear

your efforts towards

getting out of that apartment now and getting out of your lease. Start

moving all of your property into a clean, safe storage locker and consult a

lawyer as to how to get out of your contract with them. If you get sick, you

wont be able to rent another place, so you will be trapped. Get out now.

Best would be to try to do it amicably, you don't want to be paying rent on

two places or fighting a lawsuit!

[Guest guest]

Excellent advice Live!