Mould - A Growing Issue

Time Posted on October 24, 2009 at 10:29 AM User Marco Graziani

Mould remediation is a growing issue for condominium corporations today.  There are many different kinds of mould, some of which may be harmless, while others may be hazardous.  Any area exposed to a high level of moisture creates the risk of mould development.  This may occur as a result of some failure (i.e. improper drainage of a fan coil unit or broken seal), the manner in which a unit owner conducts their day-to-day activities within their unit (i.e. lifestyle), or a  combination of the two.

Condominium corporations should take a proactive approach if a mould problem exists by having a qualified professional conduct the required testing, which should include an air quality test.  The determination of responsibility will require a number of considerations, such as:

  1. what caused the mould to develop;
  2. is the area affected part of the common elements, part of a unit, or both; and,
  3. who is responsible to maintain/repair these areas.

In order to develop an effective remediation program, a condominium corporation’s board of directors must ensure that a qualified professional is providing guidance and an appropriate course of action.  Any effective remediation program must identify, address and remedy the cause of the mould contamination.  As mould contamination tends to create a number of issues for a condominium corporation, the board of directors may have to rely on a number of experts,  including its mould remediation professional, engineers and solicitors, in order to appropriately address the problem.

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1 response to Mould - A Growing Issue

  • Name: distressed, July 11, 2010 at 07:49 AM

    Last year we bought a condo which has had years of water damage from a roof which needed replacing 8 years ago, but instead was only patched. Last year each unit paid a special assessment for a 300k roof. Since then, Our unit seems to be developing mould, warping of floors and someone put a support beam outside out unit to reinforce holding up our southern wall. Our unit slants down in that direction. Being a historical loft we thought it had done settling. However, recent leaks in pipes and floods have dramatically shifted our unit. We are also infested with dampness related bugs (centipedes, indoor potato bugs, spiders) and are suffering respiratory and skin ailments. I see a black greasy substance forming I am afraid is black mold. We removed a huge white layer of substance from our exposed brick. Our management company are non-responsive to any issues I have brought up. Who would I have come in to verify structural damage and mold so I can prove it to management? We are also house poor having just purchased this place under false pretenses. Our agent received the status certificate and told us everything was fine. The sellers signed an affidavit stating there were no outstanding repairs to the common elements. This was known to all tenants since 2001 and they were notified that it would be paid by special assessment. I spent thousands on lawyers, but ran out of money. I had to treat the hardwood floors for wood rot and paint them (paint barely takes indicating a moisture issue), which has created difficulty in the ability to sell the unit for a price which would re-coop our costs. I feel like we are caught in a never ending nightmare.
    Any advice would be appreciated.



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