Tenants To File Suit Against Landlord Alleging Health Problems Due To Toxic Mold; Claim Concerns Were Ignored, Met With Retaliatory Threats

In Pittsburg, California, the Contra Costa Times reports:

• Tenants of an apartment complex here are suing their management company over claims that it failed to remove mold that made them sick. About 30 residents of Portofino Apartments [...] are signing onto a lawsuit, said attorney Bob Levin, against management company Riverstone Residential Group, citing poor living conditions and retaliatory responses to complaints. Levin said he plans to file the suit "within the statutory period," once he meets with all prospective plaintiffs.

• The common thread among the tenants' complaints is allegations of mold growing on walls, in carpet, and in windowsills and doorjambs. Other complaints include cockroach and rodent infestations, broken heating and air conditioning systems, and faulty smoke detectors. Residents say their concerns have been ignored, and instead were met with eviction threats.

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• When management told [tenant Trina] Henderson in writing that they found "no infestation of mold/mildew" in her apartment, Levin arranged a mold inspection that confirmed Henderson's suspicions: elevated levels of airborne mold, as well as surface mold. The May 24 report, by Folsom's Environmental Services, noted leaks from window sills and mold growing at the living room's sliding glass door.

For more, see Pittsburg residents suing apartment owner over mold.