Main Street building closed due to mold

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Main Street building closed due to mold

The Reporter - Fond du Lac,WI*

by heather stanek • The Reporter hstanek@...

July 24, 2008

A downtown Fond du Lac building is closed due to mold problems.

City Chief Inspector Guy Fox said 25-A N. Main St. has been deemed

uninhabitable due to " excessive mold. " County and city officials

discovered the mold in late June after receiving a complaint, he

said.

Fox said inspectors found a leaky roof, which may have contributed

to the mold. Fire struck a neighboring building, 33 N. Main St., in

December 2006, and several businesses reported smoke and water

damage.

But authorities don't believe the fire contributed to the mold issue

at 25-A N. Main, Fox said.

The owner, Tom Knecht, was given 30 days to address the situation,

said Ernst " Spike " Clarenbach, code enforcement officer for Fond du

Lac County. Knecht has until Saturday, July 26, to comply.

If the issue isn't resolved by that date, county officials may refer

the matter to its corporation counsel for further review, explained

Clarenbach.

Knecht has taken steps to clean the property. On Wednesday, crews

were busy removing carpet and painting, said Knecht, who also

operates Knecht Realty, 7 S. Main St.

Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership Director Amy Hansen added that

she's aware of the cleanup and doesn't think the worst-case

scenario — demolition — will occur.

" I would be very surprised if it came to that, " she said.

It isn't clear what caused the mold.

Vicki Rabe, who owns 's Pet Nutrition Center and Boutique,

said she left 25-A due to mold and maintenance concerns. She said

the roof leaked during heavy rainstorms and the spring thaw. She

cleaned but couldn't stop the spread of mold, she said.

Rabe said she experienced fatigue, illness, coughing and respiratory

problems as the mold grew worse. The symptoms have subsided since

she relocated to 14 N. Main St. in late June, she said.

Knecht said Rabe left the building with holes in the walls and

animal urine stains in the carpet. The space also smelled of animal

waste, he added.

Clarenbach said he didn't see animal stains, but added that he

wasn't looking for those issues when he surveyed the building.

" It smelled greatly of mold, " he said.

Who's to blame depends on the situation, Fox said.

" Typically, the landlord is responsible, unless the tenant breaks

something, " he said.