Re: Need advice and/or experience about suing landlord for illness induced by mo

[Guest guest]

Don't sue landlord. With hold your rent for reduction in services and

failure to maintain your place. Buy a dehumidifier yourself and deduct

it from your rent as well. Make documented complaints to the buildings

department. In NYC mold is a class B violation and in our building at

least the city cited the landlord with a violation, landlord was

required to put the tenant up elsewhere for 2 weeks while the city

remediated and detoxified (2 days of detoxification machine). Keep

your rent in escrow or in a savings account to show good faith. Have

documented letters of complaint as well. Landlord will have to sue to

evict you and you will get into housing court fairly quickly and the

judge will rule in your favor for sure. By the way just because he's

suing to evict you does not mean you'll be evicted. You will meet in

housing court and he'll have to do the right thing.

It sort of amazes me nobody has responded to my mattress post.

Anybody with a regular mattress has dust mites and fungi in it. I'm

wondering why people are not more concerned about this issue.

>

> Need advice and/or experience about suing landlord for illness induced

> by mold exposure, please.

> I moved into my apt (basement) 3 years ago which has flooded over 11

> times, mostly w sewage, which I cleaned up. Became ill within 6 mos,

> with head to toe skin leisons-treated for 6 mos with no diagnosis or

> improvement by GP. Referred to Derm, who diagnosed dermatitis

> (prurigio nodalaris) secondary to Graves Disease (which I also

> contracted after living in this apt was first told this " rash " was

> secondary to the Graves Disease,and once that was under control the

> rash would go away.

> After a year of derm and endo treatment, my Graves Disease is clear,

> but this rash, my endo has decided is not related to Graves Disease.

> This yr at 39 yrs of age, I have begun experiencing seizures, which

> may or may not have anything to do w the mold but

> I have had my apt tested for mold (awaiting written results), but

> was told the level were high (75 being normal, but my apt 500) and the

> moisture content of the walls was 30% vs 10% that is normal for a

> basement setting. This was 9 days after the last flood and my LL's

> bucket, towel wipe down, and bleach mop up of 150 gallons my basement

> was flooded w. Landlord has never had apt professionally cleaned and

> refuses to supply dehumidiifer.

> I am all set up to get testing but I have two questions?

> 1) Has anyone else been through this process, can you suggest any

> doctors/lawyers?

> 2}Any idea as to the success rate of this type of litigation

> Everything I read on the net seems outdated, and as if there has been

> some " unofficial " decision that toxic mold is no longer consider a

> real health hazard.

> Any advice, comments appreciated

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the responses. It sounds grim legally. I'm not being

evicted and can't stay here because I am very ill, head to toe skin

lesions and neurological problems. I have been treated

times weekly for over a year for dermatitis of undetermined origin,

but I'm not talking red bumps, I'm talking gaping weeping scarring

lesions. Withholding rent and buying a dehumidifier would do nothing

for me at this point, has to be cleaned.

As far as the bed bugs, I think I have them, but I just vacuum, air

out my mattress monthly, once had cleaned professionally. Sorry I

don't know anything else about it.

Thanks to all who responded.