Mold on the abandoned house on Staten Island, NY.
Here in California, Hurricane Sandy is but a distant, pre-election, pre-2013 blip on the weather map. But to most of the people on the Eastern Seaboard, the after effects of Hurricane Sandy are still felt on a daily basis.
Take Pat Scala of New Dorp Beach in Staten Island, New York. She’s not so concerned about her own home, but more about the two abandoned houses next door. You’d think the dead animals would bother her—and they do—but what scares her more is the mold growing on the inside and outside of the houses.
“In 10 years, they’re going to tell me I have cancer because I had to breathe in their mold when it gets warm?” asks Scala. Her neighbors report children with sinus infections, asthma and other problems. Being told to not go near it, or to wear masks and gloves, doesn’t stop the airborne mold from affecting them.
Although they have State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and City Councilman James Oddo on their side, the city has yet to react, even after a letter from the two. The city has responded that the “potential presence of mold in an abandoned building is not considered something that poses an immediate safety hazard to adjacent structures.” Tell that to Scala and her neighbors—they’re not buying it.
Because homeowners are responsible for the upkeep of their own properties, and the city can only force landlords to comply with the housing code, these abandoned homes will probably stay as they are for the foreseeable future. Why? Because at least one is a foreclosure, owned by a bank, and banks are notoriously good at neglecting their foreclosures.
With the weather we’ve been having in Southern California, the alternating cold and wet weather with hot, dry days, mold is having a heyday. Conditions couldn’t be any better for mold, so if you see anything that looks suspicious, don’t ignore it. The longer you leave a mold problem, the worse it gets. And remember, if you ever have a water leak or flooding (no matter how small), mold remediation is usually three times more expensive than water damage restoration. Calling us sooner rather than later will most likely save you money.
Call us for an estimate on (877) 732-8471—and if you have an emergency, we are open 24/7 to serve you.