Mold problems for WCI homeowners

September 18, 2008

WPTV West Palm Beach*

Reported by: Holmes

Email: jholmes@...

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL -- No longer is Henning's husband

her biggest fan.

Instead it's a huge air machine sitting inside her living room,

cranking 24-7 to suck up moisture. It takes up half the room, so

imagine what it's like living with nine of these fans going at once.

" It made us just want to walk away from the house, " says Henning.

The Henning house was built by WCI.

The problem is the windows. During Tropical Storm Fay the house

might as well have not had any, because that water just kept

coming. Some of the windows have been installed backwards, others

were not properly caulked.

" The water was coming down here, just streams of water, you could

poke a hole in the drywall, " she says.

From upstairs to downstairs, the water rolled behind the walls, even

coming out of electrical outlets.

With all that water, a mold specialist was brought in, and found

three times the healthy limit for toxic mold.

It has spread through the house, even filling the A-C vents. All

this, and is six months pregnant.

" I don't want to bring my child into this world and live in a house

like that. "

The problem is with WCI now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the builder

won't cover the warranty to fix the windows or repair the damage.

That means the Hennings have shelled out nearly two-grand for their

deductible to get the mold out before the baby is born.

The Henning family isn't alone. Dozens of residents in the

Evergrene community have had to deal with the same thing. Some have

just water stains, others are also dealing with mold.

WCI had been repairing the windows, at no expense to the homeowner.

WCI says to finish fixing the problem now they would need a special

court order.

" It's so unfair, " says Henning. " They can just hide behind Chapter

11. Because they're just going to re-organize and come back and

pick back up and leave all of us behind. "

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