Photos of Mold in Apartment

 

More photos on – flickr

See also – Photos

 

Photos documenting extensive mold growth in the HVAC system, walls, appliances, etc., and the lack of maintenance and inferior repair work resulting in constant water intrusion and continued mold growth and damage.

There is a tremendous amount of mold infestation that has been growing through out these buildings and in the HVAC systems for years. The buildings were partially built then left unfinished in the elements for a couple of years before completion about 15 years ago.

These photographs were taken 2 – 4 months after we moved in. In 3 months, the air vents were covered with growth. The air vents had been painted over. The air ducts and dryer vents are cleaned often at the complex.

It was summer and with the temperature in the upper 90’s with high humidity, the air conditioner had to stay on. These conditions were perfect for the molds to sporulate. We had never been in or experienced a building and HVAC system infested with molds and since it had been purposely concealed, until it started growing more we did not know what that was like or what was happening.

There was a dry type of mold coming from the vents along with a wet sticky black type that accumulated on everything in the apartment and even in the closets where there were no vents. We were inhaling all this and since it was covering everything, it was also entering us through food and just by touching things (especially the baby). Right before we left (4 months later), a neighbor walked in the apartment for a few minutes then came back over 10 minutes later to tell me her eyes were burning.

This mold continued to consume items made of natural substances for months after we left and everything had to be put in climate controlled storage. We could not go through these things without it causing our eyes to burn and feeling sick. 

This was not something that would not be noticed. Riverstone Residential management tells people this mold on their vents is dust and have the ducts cleaned out.

We were insisting that the apartment be tested as was our legal right to do. The maintenance man became so furious he came and pounded on our door and said “You don’t know who owns this place do you”. This was a few minutes before the mold testing company they use (they have been there before) was coming in to test. Not that they called and told us they were coming. The manager changed the testing procedure from a tape lift, air sample and visual inspection that is more accurate and would show the high level of molds (not to mention a visual inspection), to an air sample with results in 24 hours. I’m sure this fools some people but I had been informed by another company I called that mold will need at the very least 48 hours to present. They use this 24 hour test to say mold levels are consistent with levels outside. This is not accurate. Our more extensive testing shows several known toxin producing molds and above outside levels. It didn’t take a test to tell us that, the mold was so thick and damp in the air you could smell different odors from the different types.

Even with two mold inspection reports, mine in 2005 and a 2007 report (done during a sale of these apartments) along with the number of duct cleanings done there, and covering up mold with paint, Riverstone Residential denies knowing of any mold in these buildings. There is enough evidence to show that they do.

Riverstone along with the owners and now the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency know and have known about the mold in these apartments. This is not new, it has been steadily growing for years. They allowed us and others to move into these apartments therefore criminally exposing us to high levels of known toxins. They have arranged in various ways for all this to not get into court so far and my attorney has helped with that. I guess they believe this will go away. It was bad enough they did this to us and still are to others but the worst thing is they allowed a one year old baby to continuously breath in toxins and crawl and play on carpet that was being saturated with wet sticky mold. And it continues, there are people living there now and others will be allowed to move in. The toxins in these apartments can and will affect even healthy people and there are an infinite number of other minor to serious conditions that would make the health affects of this exposure worse (we know). There is no question the high levels of these toxins are definitely more dangerous to babies and children.

 

Air Vent

Mold growth on air vent after only 3 months!

 

Mold on INSIDE of Window

This mold started growing on the INSIDE 
of the window after just 3 months as more
and more mold was growing and coming 
out of the air vents

 

Siding

Damaged siding showing visible mold growth behind

 

Quality Work!

REPAIR WORK (YES! – this is the finished job) to fix the 
leak from the upstairs bath that was “RAINING” into the living
room below. This was one of several previous leaks reported by
past tenants.

It took maintenance 2 weeks and 3 calls to respond to
this leak.  According to the manager and the head of
maintenance in their depositions –

“REPORTS OF A LEAK ARE TO BE TREATED LIKE A FIRE”!!!

 

I pulled the refrigerator out from the wall because I noticed something on the baseboard between the cabinet and refrigerator I had not seen before. The wall was falling apart behind the refrigerator. This is actually how it is when the apartment is leased!!! The mold is creeping along the baseboard but has also grown on the hose leading to the back of the refrigerator and is destroying it too.

 

 

Gaps in Siding

 

 
These are the gloves I used to pick up and pack things to move out of the toxic apartment at Jefferson Lakes. I was not picking up things that should have had a sticky black residue on them and I was not trying to rub any off – in fact I did not even want to touch anything with the gloves ON. But since I was inhaling it in large quantities anyway it does not really matter.

This is the mold that had covered everything we had in the apartment after just 4 months. This is not dust. This is on everything after wiping off any dust. It grows on metals and even gets in jewelry and it starts consuming items made of wood, paper etc. People too. This is the sticky mold that was on the coat hangers in the closets even though air vents are not in the closets. This is the black residue that would wash out of our hair in the shower (yes – you could see the black residue in the water).

This is the black mold the baby was breathing, touching, and eating and drinking since it was on his baby bottles and the toys he put in his mouth.

This is the mold that is still in us.

This is an extreme amount of mold and Riverstone Residential knew about this in 2005 and again in 2007 mold reports along with the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency.

They continue to lease these apartments.

Our litigation against them for poisoning us (how could they do that to a baby and still be allowed to poison more) is very obviously being manipulated by these unethical, greedy people and others – the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency which knows about the toxins in the apartments along with Riverstone Residential and the State of Louisiana and the judicial system there that allows and ignores this. They must either have some business and investments connecting them or they are just spineless, souless cowards and puppets. Probably business and investment partners.

What allowing this to continue says is that no matter how much evidence or harm – victims of these people (who think they are MORE important and who can pay for that importance) – have no rights. Allowing this to continue says that the money made leasing these toxic apartments is more important than we are and the others who lived there before, live there now, and will live there.

That is what this all comes down to if it continues to be ignored.

Understanding this has almost become more horrible, devastating, and stressful than being exposed to all the toxins we have in us.

 

Current Photos – Toxic Mold Infested Jefferson Lakes Apartments – Mold Growth on Inside of Windows – Known & Approved for Leasing – Riverstone Residential – Louisiana Housing Finance Agency

An anonymous tenant sent these photos of mold growth on the inside of the windows of these extremely infested apartments.  Mold has been growing in the HAVC system, walls, etc. for years.  One photo is of mold growth in the apartment leasesd to us four years ago (#2907).  There is a picture I took of the mold growth on the patio window when we where there on this page – photos of mold in apt.  The current photo is of the window in an upstairs bathroom. That bedroom was the room where we first noticed a moldy smell.  This is new mold growth since we were there.  I had noticed a black mold growth and also a white to yellow color on the inside of apartment windows when out walking the dog.  Until this place, I have never seen mold growing on the inside window panes and it still remains the only place I have seen this.  

Since mold inspection reports and obvious mold infestation are ignored, Riverstone Residential and the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency welcomes anyone who would like to inquire about leasing one of these apartments – however you will not be informed of the dangerous and serious health consequences that can occur once exposed to the 24/7 inhalation of toxins via the mold infested HVAC system. 

Before publishing these photos, I had to verify that the mold was actually growing on the inside and not on the window screen or the outside of the windows as it may appear.  Windows were viewed – some as close as a few inches and if no srceen – touched – IT IS INSIDE.

Mold inspection reports show mold in many units (including HVAC). Windows like these are common at the complex.

The window screens and the outside of the windows in the first two photos have nothing on them – all the mold growth is on the inside. The third window had no screen. The last photo is the window of unit 2907.  A white-yellowish mold is growing around the edge.