Seller sued after Lakeland home filled with mold

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Seller sued after Lakeland home filled with mold

KSTP.com - Saint ,MN*

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S232873.shtml?cat=5

A local family had their new home tested for mold. But after they

bought it, a second test revealed a disturbing amount of fungus

inside the walls of the Lakeland Township home.

When Hall went to purchase the home in Washington County, he

was well aware of the homeowner stories of mold in walls behind

stucco.

The seller agreed to pay for the home to be tested. To test for

mold, small holes are drilled into the outside walls and probes are

inserted to measure the level of moisture inside. A level over 15

percent raises problems.

Hall said he received the results by phone, directly from the

tester, but he did not receive the paperwork.

" Nothing more than 13 percent, " said Hall.

The Halls bought the house and three years later, decided to sell

it. They contacted the same testing company to have an updated test

that they could show potential buyers.

When the test arrived, the company shocked the family by asking how

they fixed the mold problem the first time.

It showed moisture levels in some places at more than 40 percent.

" I told them this is a mistake, this isn't our house. You must have

the wrong report. But it was actual pictures of our home, " said

Hall, 's wife.

At the time of the first test, technology didn't allow for testing

behind the stone siding on the front of their house. The second test

found high moisture levels in several spots behind the stone.

" Any one of these would have been a deal breaker, " Hall said.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce say homeowners should contact

their own testing company, rather than relying on the word of one

hired by the seller.

" That's always the key in a real estate transaction. Find people

that are looking out solely for your interest in the transaction and

then you'll be able to trust them, " said Bill Walsh of the Minnesota

Department of Commerce.

The seller told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the testing company did tell

the Hall family the true results of the original moisture test.

The testing company said it gave the results only to the seller.

The real estate agency involved refused to comment on any of the

questions asked by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

All of them are facing lawsuits by the Halls.