- October 30, 2014
Does living in a home infested with mold make you cringe? Well, that’s exactly what some residents of Provo have been living with for months, without even knowing it. Worse yet, the hidden mod problem was making them sick. These families contacted a local news station to investigate the situation; not to inspect the mold, but to find out if the apartment owners knew about it and weren’t disclosing the information.
Newlywed couple Brian and Carissa Barzee moved into their third-floor Provo apartment soon after they got married. Less than two months after they moved in, they had to pack everything back up again and move out. They claim that brown, green, and even black mold was growing all over their apartment; in the carpeting, around the windows, and underneath the air conditioning unit. And despite how bad the situation looks, what the mold has been doing to the couple’s health is even worse.
“There were points when I really thought that I was going to die,” Carissa Barzee said. “To times where I felt like I was suffocating.”
The Barzee’s complained about symptoms the symptoms that they were experiencing; symptoms that were similar to the common cold or allergies, such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, fatigue, and headaches. As it turns out, they weren’t the only ones who were experiencing those symptoms. After the couple shared the problems they were experiencing on Facebook, it came to light that mold spores were also causing problems in other units within their apartment complex.
Three additional couples shared the same issues with investigators from a local news station. These problems included condensation on the windows, mold growing around the windows and under air conditioning units, and spongy walls.
The other couples also experience similar health problems as the Barzee’s. As a result of their symptoms, they had to miss work, the accumulated medical bills, and for one couple who was still attending school, their future was put on hold.
“He failed an entire semester because he was so sick,” Erika McDonald said of her husband.
Due to the problems the couples were experiencing, they did the logical thing and contacted apartment management, but that’s when things got even stranger.
Dave and Shelley Freeman own Cambridge Court, the complex in question. They said that they weren’t aware of the mold infestation in the Barzee’s apartment. “We didn’t know about it until they told us,” Dave Freeman said.
The Freeman’s paid for the Barzee’s stay in a hotel for one night while they disinfected the apartment and deemed the issue solved. However, as soon as the couple returned to their apartment, their symptoms returned.
Mold Inspection & Testing Salt Lake City has years of experience performing mold assessments in the state of Utah. We strongly encourage Dave and Shelley Freeman to arrange for professional mold testing to determine the extent of the problem in their apartment so it can be handled properly. To speak with an MI&T representative, call 385.218.0558.
