Was given a 'reason to kick out' order based on 'trash' around apartment...

[jaqie]

Why post here? I am sick and tired (always was) of the trolling, crapping, and other such things in offtopic, I would rather have actual discussion on this, hence posting here.

I am badly disabled and live in a duplex in Oregon, in Junction City. The property management is Emerald Property Management and has sent us a 24 day or so deadline notice to either remove the various items on our porch (2nd story, concrete, roofless). The things they speak of are some bags of sand and aquarium supplies under a white plastic tarp, along with a couch and chair which was intensely polluted with black mold spores that slowly migrated from the bathroom into my bedroom next to it. I rent this apartment along with another roommate, and that roommate has been battling the black mold since before I moved in and got on the lease as well, and the rental company has completely ignored the issue as we asked them to help with it again and again. I even got so sick from it I had to go to the ER, and then I discovered a 2x2 foot infestation behind my couch which I used as my bed since I had moved in...

They refused to help so I got help to move my couch and the computer chair outside onto the porch as it was all we could do, and then went about washing all the washable things down with a bit of bleach in water and doing all the laundry multiple times with extra detergent... washing the wall part that was infested down with a much higher concentration of bleachwater than the rest of the bedroom. We dusted everything rather thoroughly including vacuuming it up with my vacuum with a HEPA filter, the filter was removed and the vacuum was put just outside the window to get the bulk of the spores outside the room.

So now they are telling me I have 24 days to remove those things from the porch or they will evict me... I have no means to do so, what would be a good idea to get rid of it? The office chair can be unscrewed and thrown into the small dumpster, the rest of the stuff can be stored inside... the couch is the problem.

Off the top of my head would be paying someone to come bust it into pieces with a sledgehammer and toss it into the dumpster, or just throwing it in the dumpster (it's too big, seems like an asshole move to me, don't wanna do it), or putting a free sign on it which seems to be another ahole move because it has black mold spores in it... Fighting emerald is just not a good idea because they are terrible when it comes to this stuff... being as disabled as I am I simply don't have the energy to be fighting them.

Ideas? I am on disability and extremely tight on money, especially right now...

 

[Atomic Playboy]

You might be able to call a waste disposal company and arrange a pick-up, but I don't know if they'll have that service in Junction City. You could also rent a small U-Haul and get some family/friends help you take it to a local dump (or, even better, find a friend with a pickup who is willing to help). I agree that dumping the couch on the sidewalk with a free sign is pretty tacky, so you probably shouldn't go that route. As tight as money may be, it will be a lot worse if you get evicted, so call in any favors you've got.

 

[jaqie]

I have no friend with a pickup, I have no drivers license, a uhaul would be far too much money, I have no favors with anyone to call in, but the calling the local disposal company is a good idea. Ill do that soon, thanks!

 

[Charles Kozierok]

First, welcome to the grownups' room, glad to have you.

The situation you describe is ridiculous, and I don't blame you for being upset. There are companies that will haul trash, but of course, you have to pay them, and that doesn't solve the mold problem.

If you can't afford to get rid of the items, maybe a local social service could help?

I'd also call your city hall, describe the situation and ask if there is a department that deals with landlord-tenant conflicts. I bet there is.

If they actually do try to evict you, contact the local media. If there's one thing that forces an unethical business to get its act together, it's bad PR.

Good luck.

 

[Dendra]

In our town the trash company offers a once per year free pick up of items that don't normally fit in trash cans. They also offer very reasonable pick-up charges for large items if you have already used your free pick up. Call your building's company and ask them what low-cost services they offer. If they don't do things like that, ask them if they know anyone who does. This might be more difficult to arrange since you are a tenant, but it won't hurt to ask them.

 

[Moonbeam]

Might try calling here:

Junction City Building Department

Building Department
City Hall
680 Greenwood Avenue
P.O. Box 250
Junction City, Oregon 97448



Planning Director: Staff Supported
Building/Planning Administrative Assistant: Tere Andrews
Phone: 541.998.2153
Fax: 541.998.3140
Email: JCPlanning@ci.junction-city.or.us
Email: tandrews@ci.junction-city.or.us

Might try free legal services to start a law suit for health damages from the mold, etc.

 

[DrPizza]

Not to mention - if the black mold came from the apartment, you probably have a reasonable small claims court type of claim.

Generally, for cases such as this, there are lawyers who will do at least the first visit for free. If a lawyer finds you to have a significant case, then they'll generally take their fee out of what you recover from the company you're suing.
(IANAL)

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Local ad help wanted asking for someone with a truck to load and haul away stuff off the porch for a set amount would be your best bet.

 

[Ketchup]

Local ad help wanted asking for someone with a truck to load and haul away stuff off the porch for a set amount would be your best bet.

After reading your op this is what I was thinking. A "free to good home offer" if they pick it up. Back when I had my truck I got a good deal on a couch that way.

 

[jaqie]

After reading your op this is what I was thinking. A "free to good home offer" if they pick it up. Back when I had my truck I got a good deal on a couch that way.

Do you really think it's a good move to give the couch to someone when it is infested with black mold spores? I don't. Do you even know how deadly black mold is? I think you don't.

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everyone else: thank you!

 

[Ketchup]

Do you really think it's a good move to give the couch to someone when it is infested with black mold spores? I don't. Do you even know how deadly black mold is? I think you don't.

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everyone else: thank you!

Then best of luck. Just trying to help.

 

[Theb]

You could clean up everything you can to show them you're wanting to comply then call them to describe the situation with the couch and see if they have any suggestions. Maybe there's a maintenance guy that can take care of it? Emphasize that you both have a common goal wrt the couch.

Property management people can be difficult, but being personable can go a long way.

 

[davmat787]

Maybe trade some of your time (assuming you have computer skills or something) for a boy scout troop or church to come out and get rid of it? I have heard this working before.

 

[WelshBloke]

Is it definitely the toxic black mould rather than the just unpleasant regular black mould?

If it's the toxic one I'd not be worried about getting evicted as I'd be finding somewhere else to live.

 

[jaqie]

the ER confirmed it was the black mold that emits mycotoxin.

I simply don't have the resources to move or I would, honestly. When you live on disability you take what place to live you can afford, which sure as hell isn't much.

 

[Sonikku]

I suggest video taping all the mold and infestation in the apartment. Make sure to document all your attempts to get the apartment to do something to get rid of the mold with the lack of response. The moment they evict you, contact the local media, tell them your story, supply them with the evidence and wait for things to get straightened out in short order.

 

[jaqie]

It's all cleaned up as of yesterday. the porch, the mold, everything.

They can't evict me now because there is nothing on the porch at all.

I also moved into the other of the two bedrooms, and cleaned up the one I was in very well. Then we found someone to rent out the other room to split the bills so we can continue to afford to live here.

She was told in no uncertain terms this place has a history of black mold, she is in a similar situation to me, can't afford her own place and needs one to stay out of shelters or missions which she is too disabled to survive.

 

[werepossum]

Congrats on handling your problem. Hopefully this will improve your health. I don't think black mold is that bad on most people, but if your health is compromised and/or stressed by other things, especially if you are kept indoors with it for most of the time, it can be remarkably deadly. I hope you wore proper respiratory and skin protection if you cleaned it out, as damaging Stachybotrys is what causes it to produce mycotoxins and thus cleaning is usually when toxin levels are highest.

Please continue looking for free resources though. Mold is usually hidden, and even molds that don't produce mycotoxins can be deadly if your health is compromised because they tend to produce more and lighter spores, and fungal infections can be very, very difficult to treat. If there's a charity that diagnoses and perhaps treats black mold infection, it would still be worth your while to seek them out even if the mold is visibly gone.

 

[jaqie]

Thank you!

You're right, but I simply don't have the energy to do that kind of thing.

This is what I need a case manager for, honestly, because of various reasons, but that's yet another thing disability says I do not need.

We used a great amount of ventilation, the room has a sliding glass door opening onto that concrete porch. We put a couple of high velocity fans pointing out of it and ran it like that all day during and after the cleanup.

My SDS caregiver (disability gives me a caregiver 20 hours a month to do things I can no longer do... dishes, vacuuming, laundry, et cetra) used protective gloves and a wet rag over her mouth, and that worked quite well. We both bathed afterward with a very thorough scrubbing of our hair, and she gave my service dog a very lengthy scrub-down bath as dog fur is a magnet for that stuff.

Immediately after I stopped coughing and having problems, and it only came back when I found something that we failed to clean properly.

 

[Greenman]

I would guess the city or county health department would be the place to call. Mold issues are taken pretty seriously by most of them. That doesn't help you dump your sofa, but it may become the landlords problem if it was ruined by mold, and they might have to replace it.

 

[colonelciller]

Is it definitely the toxic black mould rather than the just unpleasant regular black mould?

If it's the toxic one I'd not be worried about getting evicted as I'd be finding somewhere else to live.

+1
move out today

 

[colonelciller]

I would guess the city or county health department would be the place to call. Mold issues are taken pretty seriously by most of them. That doesn't help you dump your sofa, but it may become the landlords problem if it was ruined by mold, and they might have to replace it.

+1
if you have copies of letters/emails about the problem you will kick their hindquarterts in small claims court... ask for the replacement cost of the items you lost. it'll be a glorious moment. get a health inspection and have those documents in small claims also to ask the court to release you from the contract due to dangerous living conditions

 

[colonelciller]

knock on neighbors doors... see if anyone else has. black mold problem!

if there are a bunch, you then have a story for the local news

 

[jaqie]

+1
move out today

Sure. As soon as you pay for the move. Send me $2000 and Ill move out as soon as I get the money.

Why do people not get that not everyone has disposable money to burn?

 

[jaqie]

+1
if you have copies of letters/emails about the problem you will kick their hindquarterts in small claims court... ask for the replacement cost of the items you lost. it'll be a glorious moment. get a health inspection and have those documents in small claims also to ask the court to release you from the contract due to dangerous living conditions

And how do I pay the fees for the court suit? How about the lawyer fees? How about the expenses of going down there and how am I to get down there and back? What about being too sick to go?

This is far beyond my capabilities for many reasons. I am just too disabled to fight back and they know it, same thing with the disability doctors.

Not everyone has so much disposable income and energy to do everything they want.