EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
New Hampshire
Salem mom fed up with flooding, mold
Published: July 2, 2009
SALEM — When water from days of rain soaked through the carpets in Amy Anderson's basement apartment for the third time since December, she had enough.
Anderson, a 26-year-old single mother of two, said mold has persistently been a problem in the apartment in a four-family duplex on Pond Street. It all started when problems with the sump pump allowed water to cover the floor during the December ice storm, she said.
When the apartment flooded Sunday for the third time since December, she just wanted to get out.
But there was another problem.
With a new month starting, Anderson said her landlord told her each day she stayed in July would be deducted from her security deposit — money she needs if she's going to move. Anderson has lived there for four years, paying $750 a month, always on time, she said.
The carpets have been replaced twice — in December and once in a previous flood — in the small, three-bedroom apartment. But the strong odor of mold persists.
That scent is what Anderson said makes living there unbearable.
"I asked him (my landlord) if he would let his dog live down here and he couldn't answer me," Anderson said.
Beyond the odor, there are health risks associated with living in a mold-infested environment.
Mold produces allergens, irritants, and, in some cases, potentially toxic substances, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed.
Anderson said her landlord, William Rich of Andover, Mass., had the sump pump and carpets replaced after the apartment flooded in December, but he has since been skeptical of her complaints.
"He just isn't doing anything," she said. "He thinks we can live there."
Rich did not return several calls over the past two days requesting comment.
Anderson called in Salem Health Inspector Brian Lockhardt when the apartment flooded again in May.
Lockhardt said Rich told him he would treat the carpets with fungicide. Lockhardt also instructed him to make several repairs to the bathroom, which he did, according to Anderson.
Lockhardt said some level of mold could be found at nearly every property. When mold is found, he typically looks for the source — often a leaky roof or pipes — and instructs property owners to fix it.
Anderson said she would like to move out as quickly as she can. But she has to find a nearby place she can afford, so her two children, ages 6 and 11, can continue going to the same school and she can keep her job.
Anderson's mother, Maria Regan, said once her grandchildren move out, she hopes no children live in the apartment in the future.
"I don't ever want to see children live here again," she said.
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