Mold evicts Triangle sisters

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Mold evicts Triangle sisters

Inside NoVA - Prince ,VA*

By

Published: May 23, 2008

http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/mold_evicts_triangle

_sisters/16034/

Sisters Crystal Chance and Etta son aren't yet homeless, but

they're about a half a step shy of the condition.

The women have been residents at the house in Triangle that they've

been renting since September, but they're not living inside.

County documents show that inspectors closed the house at 18621

Amidon Avenue on May 15 because water " flows freely down the

interior wall " and the drywall and wood paneling in the bedrooms,

living room, dining room and closets had severe water damage.

The sisters couldn't stay there, but they had no other place to go.

They were lucky for a few days and got a hotel room with help from

son's former church in Fauquier County.

Since their rent was paid until the end of the month, the women

pitched a tent in the front yard with the help of some neighbors.

They couldn't manage the task themselves.

" There was no way they could put them up, so I called a couple of

neighbors, " said Pat McCarthy, who lives nearby on Triangle Street

and helped pitch the tent the women have been sleeping in for

several nights.

son, 54, is disabled and confined to a wheelchair and Chance,

45, is on oxygen and has to use a walker to get around.

" We're paid up. So why not stay here? It's the only property that we

have, " Chance said.

The sisters have $14 between them.

son said she was at her wit's end. " We just can't take it no

more, " she said.

The county documents also showed that the water heater was broken

and plumbing in the house was improperly installed. An orange sign

posted on the storm door stated that " The structure is unfit for

habitation and its use or occupancy has been prohibited by the code

official. "

Prince County land records show that the house is owned by

Anis Nawab. Anis Nawab's daughter-in-law, Nawab, represented

her mother-in-law and leased the house to son and Chance, who

receive Section 8 rental assistance.

Nawab said the house was in fine condition when Chance and

son moved in, since Section 8 housing must pass county

inspections before people who receive the assistance are allowed

occupancy.

" The house was completely renovated three years ago, " Nawab

said.

Chance said she wouldn't have called the county if the plumbing had

been repaired. " If they would have just fixed the bathroom faucet,

this never would have happened, " she said.

Nawab said her husband and brother-in-law went several times

with several different plumbers to try and fix the problems at the

house that was built in the 1940s.

" Any contractors we have going out have to be turned away two or

three times before they can come in and take a look, " Nawab

said. " Whenever we go out, we find that the whole house is full of

junk, so the contractor can't go in to look at it.Whatever was

leaking, they let it leak for three or four months. "

Elijah , the director of Housing and Community Development

Office which overseas Section 8 housing, said his office is working

on finding the sisters a place to live, but their circumstances make

the job difficult.

" It's a unique situation—because of the disabilities—finding a house

that's going to meet their needs, " said.

said the sisters turned down one place that would accept

Section 8 tenants. Chance said the place was too small and wasn't

much better than the house on Amidon Avenue.

Before they moved into the house, the sisters had been living in

son's Dodge van with her pit bull terrier, Cyrus.

The van has been broken for some time, so the women are having

difficulty finding other places to live, son said.

If the van worked, they could load up the walker and the wheelchair

and drive to any number of places that accept Section 8 tenants.

As it is now, Chance has been calling places on her cell phone and

walking with her oxygen tank trying to find a place to live.

Chance said she looked at a place in Manassas on Friday, but there

were too many steps. " We're going to walk around all weekend and

look at places, " She said.

Some relief recently came to the sisters through a local church. For

the next few nights anyway, Chance and Ste-phenson will have a place

to stay.

Chance said the congregation of Christian Ministries

International has put the sisters up in a motel in Trian-gle. " They

brought us food last night, " she said.

can be reached at 703-369-6751.