Help- New Condo with Water Damage and Black Mold

[Kamran Rahman]

Hi BP!

I seem to have a problem. A condo I purchased 6 weeks ago, seems to have water damage and black mold. 

I am hoping to get the following out from this thread:

1. People sharing their similar experiences when living househacking a condo unit. 

2. How to approach the HOA to try to get the best result possible.

3. How to prepare to fix the problem myself. 

Below are cliff notes that provide a timeline of the issue. 

10/2018- I buy and close on the unit after it passes inspection. 

11/26/2018- After a rainy week in Washington state, I notice some dampness in one of the rooms that shares a wall with the outer structure. At this point, I reach out to the HOA for help.

Note: this was missed by the inspector,  likely because the problem only seems to bubble up when it rains. Also, the room was being used as a storage by the previous owners, so area with damage was quite obscured. 

11/26/2018- HOA confirms that they will send a maintenance person to take a look at the problem. They also confirm that if it is related to structural issues, the costs will be absorbed by the HOA.

11/30/2018 - 12/1/2018  -Repair people come over the course of a weekend while I am out of town. My roommates are there to help the teapot person.  The maintenance people seal the outside of the building because they seem to believe to be the source of the damage. Then they come into my unit, and paint over the wet spots on the wall. When my roommates ask them to do more than paint over the wall, the maintenance person expresses that it would be cheaper to just paint over the wet spot, rather than do more. He also suggests that I, the owner, need to talk to his boss if I want to escalate. 

12/9- when I get back in town I inform HOA that the maintenance people seem to have sealed the exterior of the building, and just paint over the wet spots in my unit. HOA rep seems to be under the impression that the job should suffice, but asks me to reach out if I see the problem comes back.

12/18 -So I wait to see if at least the leak stops. It doesn't. After a rainy week in Washington state, I check the room, and once again, the room is damp. This time, I record the dampness over video, and also discover what appears to be black mold that I can see underneath the cracks of the floorboard. I send this info to my HOA rep over email, and I also text the maintenance person the video to show the problem.

The maintenance person says they’ll be swinging by on 12/19 to review the problem again. 

12/19/18 (Today) -

I'll be meeting with the maintenance person. I'm still waiting on the HOA rep (who doesn't work on Wednesdays, which is today).

So that’s my journey so far. Any insights are appreciated. I’m already prepared for the worst.