INVESTIGATED AN EXTREME
CASE OF
MOLD ON THE PENINSULA.
LAB RESULTS SHOWED AN
APARTMENT HAD INDOOR MOLD
COUNTS
THAT WERE 36 TIMES
GREATER THAN WHAT WOULD
BE CONSIDERED ELEVATED.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
CHRIS HORNE FOUND THAT
MOLD IS A WAY OF LIFE IN
EVERY CORNER OF HAMPTON
ROADS.
TONIGHT HE'S FOLLOWING UP
WITH HOW TO MAKE YOUR
CASE IN COURT IF MOLD
SHOWS UP IN YOUR
APARTMENT.
LANDLORDS HAVE
RESPONSIBILITIES BUT SO
DO TENANTS.
I GOT SOME ADVICE ON HOW
TO WIN A MOLD CASE FROM
AN ATTORNEY WHO FIGHTS
FOR RENTERS IN COURT.
ATTORNEY JESSICA KLEIN
SAYS IF YOU WANT TO WIN A
MOLD CASE IN COURT - YOU
THE FIRST STEP A
TENANT SHOULD DO IS WRITE
A LETTER TO THEIR
LANDLORD O PROPERTY
MANAGER - THEY WANT TO DO
THAT
IMMEDIATELY AND YOU WANT
TO PUT IT IN WRITING AND
HAVE IT DATED AND SIGNED
AND YOU WANT TO KEEP A
COPY OF THAT. DON'T
FORGET - THAT WRITTEN
NOTICE IS REQUIRED UNDER
CAN HELP, BUT ONCE THE
LANDLORD IS NOTIFIED THAT
MOLD EVEN COULD BE
PRESENT -- THEY HAVE TO
TAKE STEPS TO INVESTIGATE
AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
C 1 1:48 JESSICA KLEIN
ATTORNEY -- IF THERE'S A
WATER LEAK THAT'S
CREATING THE MOLD, THEN
THEY WOULD WANT TO
INVESTIGATE WHERE THAT
WATER'S COMING FROM,
CAUSE THAT WATER TO STOP,
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT
THE ISSUE IS.
IF THE LANDLORD DOES NOT
TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION,
THEN THE TENANT CAN FILE
ONE OF THESE - A TENANT'S
ASSERTION AND COMPLAINT.
BUT THE TENANT CAN NOT
JUST STOP PAYING RENT. C
1 4:10 JESSICA KLEIN
ATTORNEY -- THEY CAN PAY
THEIR RENT INTO ESCROW,
SO THE RENT DOES CONTINUE
TO GET PAID, THE TENANT
CAN NOT WITHHOLD RENT IN
VIRGINIA. IN THE END A
JUDGE WOULD DECIDE WHO
GETS THAT ESCROWED RENT -
EITHER THE LANDLORD OR
THE TENANT.
IN EXTREME CASES A TENANT
CAN WIN RELOCATION, BUT
KLEIN SAYS THOSE ARE RARE
AND JUDGES LOOK AT EACH
CASE ON ITS OWN MERITS.
SO WHAT IF YOU THINK THAT
YOU NOT ONLY HAVE MOLD -
BUT YOU BELIEVE THAT MOLD
IS
MAKING YOU SICK?
KLEIN SAYS THAT'S WHEN IT
BECOMES A DIFFERENT KIND
OF CASE AND YOU'LL NEED A
PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER.
CHRIS HORNE 10 ON YOUR
SIDE
