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Updated about 6 years ago on . Most recent reply

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59
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Aaron W.
  • Denton, TX
6
Votes |
59
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Has anyone been sued for mold or know of anyone?

Aaron W.
  • Denton, TX
Posted

I have paid for mold remediation multiple times in a house I am renting in Texas.

I have another rental in Arkansas love the house never have many issues with the house.  I think either my tenant was a concerned parent or trying to pull a fast one.  He told me his son was continually getting sick and wanted to rule out mold.  I paid for the mold test and everything came up negative.

I may pay for an overall mold test for the house in Texas just to be extra cautious.

Curious if anyone knows of anyone or has been sued for mold by a tenant or knows of anyone that has been sued for mold?

I called my insurance and they said they do not cover damages from mold.

Most Popular Reply

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834
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449
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Danny Webber
  • Real Estate Broker / Investor
  • Austin, TX
449
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834
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Danny Webber
  • Real Estate Broker / Investor
  • Austin, TX
Replied

If you pay for an airborne test just assume you will fail it. Most homes will not pass via the standards in place right now which are subjective. There are no "fixed" in stone- law type guidelines in the country that i know of. If there are someone please post a link.

If you fail the airborne test assume "Sh_ t is going to get much worse before it gets better." 

Fail test= remediation=lots of money=more tests

My humble opinion is that since the mold remediation industry is so unregulated a lot of people get taken advantage of. Those companies charge outrageous amounts of money to do work and use the fear of death and lawsuits to sell jobs.

We all admit that mold is bad if at certain levels. One test guy told me that every house on the block would fail an airborne test if tested enough or in certain areas. That is based on his adopted standards which may be universal or may not be. Either way it shed light on the industry.

I've had personal experience with tests/remediators/etc... None of which unfortunately were positive in the Austin area. I just could not get anyone to agree with anyone else on results/remediation, etc.. Very frustrating.

Seek legal counsel is my first suggestion.

Second suggestion- walk the house looking for anything that looks like mold and spot clean/treat it, etc. You could also hire an inspector to do swab tests around the house. Just be ready to get it cleaned after and pay for a follow up test to clear the place. 

Summary: if mold is a problem in a house for you or tenants it should be treated but tenants IMO are sometimes crazy and looking for leverage to short you on rents or sec deposits. It is hard to know the difference.

I AM SURE someone in the mold business is on this forum and will "roast" everyone about their suggestions! 

Disclaimer:  i am not a mold expert or professional 

good article

https://www.thespruce.com/is-mold-remediation-wort...

  • Danny Webber

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