The Moldy Manufactured Home

In 1999 we began the process of replacing our home that was lost in the 1998 flood. We wanted to build a home, but the flood plain administration regulations were so strict we could not find a builder to build for us. We then began to look at manufactured homes; we looked at all the big and small names within a 100-mile radius of where we live. After comparing the construction of the House Smart home vs. a site built home we felt that the House Smart home was a better constructed and more efficient home. We purchased a higher end home from House Smart Homes DBA Oakwood Homes. About 6-7 months or so of living in the home we noticed the back door leaking during a rain. We called Oakwood and within a week or so they came out and said that we should put up a storm door to help keep out the rain, we explained that the home was still under it’s one year warranty and they replaced the back door.

Our 4-year-old daughter became chronically ill a trip to the pediatrician about every month and a half. She was on medication continuously and received allergy shots twice a week. After the second year in our home she was hospitalized twice in less than five months having severe sinusitis and pneumonia. Our pediatrician recommended we have our home tested for mold. We did so only to find out that there was enough moisture in three areas of the home.

The back door because it was not installed properly

Around the front door which had daylight all the way around it despite it having been adjusted on four separate occasions. The third where our garden tub drained onto the floor because the drain had not been hooked up and water saturated the floor, which lead to the growth of toxic and non-toxic molds. We filled a claim with our insurance for water damage and possible mold. We were denied the claim the insurance company stated that this was a manufacture defect and our policy did not cover manufacture defects or mold. We then contacted Oakwood Homes and filled a complaint, we were unsuccessful at getting the issue resolved and sought legal representation.

Oakwood Homes hired an environmental company to test our home for mold. The test results revealed that we have seven different types of mold in the home two of them being toxic to human beings and are twice the level than that of a home that has not been affected by water damage. We were advised to leave the home as soon as possible wash the clothes we had on before going into any on else’s home and take nothing with us. I took my infant and toddler bought two changes of clothes and went to a relative’s house where we stayed for two months. We began asking Oakwood what their plan was for living arrangement we were then told to check into apartment rentals. I priced three of the cheaper end apartments in our area only to be told that those prices were too expensive and to check into motel accommodations. We could not see spending the next three to six months in a motel. Our daughter was going to be starting her first year of school and felt that both of our children needed a stable environment. So we then decided to rent an apartment. We spent all of our savings to purchase the things that we needed for basic living.

We have been financially devastated paying for a home that we can not live in and rent on an apartment. Oakwood homes have not done one thing to absorb relocation costs nor are they in any hurry to resolve this matter. We have been out of our home starting our ninth month now and our daughter is doing so much better she has been off all of her medications and has only had one trip to the doctor and Oakwood has filed bankruptcy.

Corina Turner
Victoria Texas

Author: Carolyn Willbanks