Florida Apartment Complex Suffers Mold Problems; Evictions

Naples, FL – Dozens of low-income elderly people are being evicted from a Florida apartment complex because of Chinese drywall and mold. According to naplesnews.com, the 33 residents have been given until the end of this month to leave the 30-unit Bromelia Place apartment building in Immokalee.

Many of the residents have been complaining of respiratory ailments. Other problems reported may be related to potentially-defective Chinese drywall, naplesnews.com said. The complex was only opened in 2007.

The decision to evict residents came after mold was discovered in the apartment complex while it was being checked for Chinese drywall. According to naplesnews.com, the mold is apparent in places on the outside of the building and has been found inside several units. The mold may have been caused by faulty windows or the possible use of defective Chinese drywall, naplesnews.com said.

On July 30, tenants received a landlord notice of termination and a 30-day notice of eviction.

According to naplesnews.com, the building is owned by United Church Homes Inc, a not-for-profit retirement services corporation The firm is hoping to reopen Bromelia Place once repairs are done.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has received 810 Chinese drywall complaints from 23 states since last December, with most coming from Florida (621). The state with the second highest count is Louisiana (105). Others have come from consumers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. However, it is likely that far more homes are affected. According to The Wall Street Journal, some 500 million pounds of Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. during the housing boom. That means as many as 100,000 homes throughout the country could have been built with the material.

Tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year found Chinese-manufactured drywall contained elevated levels of strontium sulfide, as well as several organic compounds associated with the production of acrylic paint which were not present in samples of U.S.-made drywall.

Author: Carolyn Willbanks