Advocate lobbies for toxic mold protection act

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Woman works to break the mold

Advocate lobbies for toxic mold protection act

03/24/02

Jan Witherspoon

Morelli is drawing a line in the sand.

She's sick, her family is sick and they lost their home and everything in it

because of toxic mold poisoning.

Morelli, however, is not one to back down.

Although her own health is at risk and she has already spent thousands of

dollars on medical tests, she is embarking on a battle to bring the issue of

toxic mold poisoning to the attention of public officials and Florida's

insurance companies.

Morelli is proposing a toxic mold protection act, and has tried to get an

appointment with Gov. Jeb Bush and Commissioner of Insurance Tom Gallagher.

She has been unsuccessful in her efforts so far, and is becoming frustrated.

This single mother of three is becoming an advocate.

" I'm not going to give up, " said Morelli, who is a Realtor.

" In real estate we have to disclose certain things. Insurance companies

should offer this as an extra option instead of (offering) something like

loss from the eruption of a volcano or from the weight of ice, snow or

sleet. It should be relevant to where people live. "

Morelli does have homeowner's insurance and she reported the condition of

her house to make a claim. The company sent a claims adjuster, who walked

through the house and said he didn't see any signs of mold but said he could

smell it, Morelli said.

" I told him I just know we're sick and we don't know why, " she said. " He

told me I had a mold exclusion clause in the policy. He sent a follow-up

letter and copy of the policy about the mold exclusion. That was it. "

That began Morelli's search for more information about mold and insurance

claims. She searched the Internet and found the Florida Department of

Insurance.

She called the department and told her story.

" About three days later the insurance company called me, " she said. " They

told me they wanted to do an investigation and asked if they could send a

civil engineer and a restoration crew to my home. "

They inspected the house on Oct. 3.

Morelli said she was then told the insurance company would pay the rent in

her new apartment while they were completing the investigation.

" They have been paying my rent since November 20, 2001, " she said.

A toxicologist's test results showed high levels of three toxic molds:

stachybotrys, aspergillius niger and penicillium.

Those tests cost Morelli $1,000.

The toxicologist told her not to move back into the house.

Her family had to leave all their personal belongings behind. Medical

treatment for her and her three children has been postponed because of lack

of money.

Months later, Morelli is still in limbo.

She doesn't know where her insurance claim stands.

The issue of insurance coverage has been in the news in Texas, where a

family was awarded $32 million in a landmark jury verdict. The Texas

insurance commissioner recently restructured residential property policy

coverage due to the large number of mold-related claims.

Since Morelli made her situation public, she has heard from many people who

are concerned about their own homes and health. She has also sponsored a

public meeting where two experts spoke about mold and toxic mold, and she is

gathering signatures on her petition.

" I've tried to get an appointment with the governor, and I'll camp out in

front of his house if I have to, " she said of the legislation she is

proposing. " I've lost everything; I have nothing to lose. But it's not just

for me - it may not help us, but maybe it will help others. "

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