Mold in Bismarck Apartments

[Guest guest]

Mold in Bismarck Apartments

WCIA-3 News - IL*

Reported by: Vance/WCIA 3

Tuesday, Oct 16, 2007

http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=9109

People in one Vermilion County housing complex say it's time

something is done about an ongoing mold problem in their homes.

This isn't the first time we visited the Country Acres Apartments in

Bismarck.

The tenants called us about the problem back in June.

Then, the mold was blamed on heavy rains.

But even with a dry spell, tenants say the problem is getting worse

and they want it fixed.

But they also say mold isn't the only problem they're dealing with

either.

Ricky Tilson has lived here for several months. He says the list of

problems just keeps growing.

" It's ridiculous, " says Tilson. " It's blatant disregard for people's

health and it's unacceptable. "

fewer and his family have been here since August.

He says he heard about some of the mold problems before moving in

but when he asked, the landlord said it was nothing. Then, Fewer

says, they started finding problems around every corner.

" We started finding out you can't have a landline phone because

wires ae gone, " says Fewer. " Television's also gone and kids want to

watch tv and then we start looking around and we have mold growing

in the house, it's plainly visible. I feel like I was walked all

over. "

So Fewer called a county health inspector to look at the apartments.

The county has no authority to do anything about the problems.

Fewer says he just wants somebody to know what they're going through.

" I'm permanantly disabled and that's the only reason we wanted to

get somebody out here, " he says. " Maybe somebody can do something if

not fix it at least help us get out. "

The building is owned by Randy Green of Danville.

He recently had an environmental engineer inspect the units and says

no mold was found.

When told about what we saw there, he said he'll fix any problem

that is brought to his attention, the tenants just have to tell him.

Those who live there say the've tried and now it's time for action.

" Ultimately I'd like to see this place closed down because nobody

needs to live here, " says Tilson, " and I hope something happens to

this guy as far as being a landlord because he has no business being

a landlord. "