Homeowner Says Mold Made Family Sick

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Methuen homeowner says black mold made family sick Lawsuit seeks $175,000 to

remedy problems By J.J. Huggins

February 22, 2009

A single mother with 8-year-old triplets says she and

her children became ill from black mold after a contractor improperly

installed insulation in her condex.

Saad, 47, formerly of 177 North Lowell St., is

suing Greater Lawrence Community Action Council and a contractor the

nonprofit hired to install insulation in her home.

Saad said she received heating fuel assistance from

GLCAC, and as a result, they suggested to her in December 2003 that a

contractor go into her home to improve the insulation and make the home

more efficient.

She agreed, and GLCAC's Lynn-based contractor, Danetti

Insulation, did a shoddy job, she alleges in a lawsuit filed in

Lawrence Superior Court.

Saad contends that Danetti Insulation improperly

installed the insulation and improperly installed moisture exhaust

vents, causing moisture from the living spaces to vent directly into

the attic, thus restricting the ventilation of the building through the

attic. The contractor also improperly installed a roof vent, the

lawsuit says.

The lawsuit claims GLCAC breached its contract with

Saad because they agreed to obtain a building permit before the

contractor started, but no permit was pulled.

" We did everything within the law that we were

required to do, and we did it well, I believe, " Ed Champigny, owner of

Danetti Insulation, said during an interview.

The family started to get sick in 2004, Saad said during an interview at the

home.

Her children developed allergies, became incontinent,

had migraines, eczema and stomach problems. Her daughter got

a tumor in her finger, Saad said.

The family's dog, a 10-year-old Cocker Spaniel named

Napoleon, contracted eczema that turned into what looked like a

" flesh-eating disease, " Saad said.

" It looked like somebody took a potato peeler and took off his skin, " Saad said.

The vet said the dog's illness looked like a mold allergy, and Saad ended up

having him euthanized.

The family rescued another dog, a 10-year-old Wheaten

Terrier named Jackie, and he developed a skin condition that looked

like Napoleon's and died within six months, Saad said.

The dogs had something in common: they both slept in the children's room.

Expert pins family's problems on mold

At the time, Saad didn't know what caused the dogs'

problems. She thought it might have been because of the fertilizer she

used on her lawn.

Then in December 2006, she went into her attic to put

Christmas ornaments away and saw whitish/gray fuzzy spots on the

insulation. It was mold, she said. She also saw ice crystals on the

underside of the roof and black spots under the crystals.

Saad hired an expert from Gordon Mycology Laboratory

in Littleton to inspect the home for mold in June 2007. The expert

determined there were elevated airborne penicillium spore levels in the

attic, on the plywood roof sheathing, in the room where the children

slept and in the living areas.

" The report concluded that the addition of extra

insulation by GLCAC and Danetti compromised the ventilation of the

attic, which was compounded by the moisture from the bathroom

exhausting directly into the attic, " Saad's lawyer, Lambert of

Boston, wrote in the lawsuit.

The company recommended mold remediation of the attic and living spaces,

according to the lawsuit.

Molds can cause nasal stuffiness, eye irritation,

wheezing, skin irritations, fever and shortness of breath, according to

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Saad and her children moved into her mother's house in

North Andover, then to a friend's house in town, where they live

now. She had to uproot her children from school in Methuen, place them

in school in North Andover, and then enroll them at the Penn Brook

School in town.

She still owns the condex and still pays the mortgage, but the family isn't

living there because of the mold problems.

Court documents say Saad is suing for $175,000 to pay

for mold remediation, repairs, mold testing, living expenses and

mortgage payments. She's also suing for court costs and attorneys' fees.

Saad took a reporter and photographer inside the home

last week. There was a dark, spotty substance covering a baseboard in

the children's bedroom, which Saad said is black mold.

The triplets — , and — are doing well now that they

are out of the home, Saad said.

Agency denies responsibility

Saad bought the home in April 2002. Before that, she

lived on Long Island with her former husband, Essam Saad, and worked as

a fashion designer in New York City, she said.

She left her job when she became pregnant, and she and

her husband divorced after the triplets were born. She moved to Methuen

and settled in the small condex in the West End, thinking she would

start over there with her kids.

The lawsuit says Saad suffered from blood infections,

chronic lymphedema and severe cellulitis resulting in hospitalization.

She also has chronic leg pain, chest pain, nose bleeds, nausea,

shingles, asthma, hypertension, urticaria on her arms, severe physical

and emotional stress and a compromised immune system, the lawsuit says.

" Because of her health condition, Saad was

advised by her doctor not to return to work and she is now disabled, "

Lambert wrote.

Saad receives Social Security income, as well as child support from her

ex-husband, she said.

GLCAC is a Lawrence-based, government-funded agency that helps impoverished

people.

Philip Laverriere, the agency's executive director and

CEO, deferred comment to attorney Sullivan, who is defending the

nonprofit.

Sullivan did not return a call seeking comment Friday.

" I believe that we went there, we did a good job, "

Champigny said. " I believe the work was inspected, guaranteed for two

years and it was a couple years beyond that where she first had

problems. GLCAC is a great program and they do great work for people. "

Sullivan filed a response with the court on GLCAC's

behalf, denying any wrongdoing. He said Saad may be to blame for her

injuries, at least partly. He said she " failed to mitigate, minimize or

avoid damages. "

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