- May 9, 2019
Residents who live at an apartment complex, located at 500 Ocean in Boynton Beach, claim that mold has taken over their homes and some residents say that the mold is making them sick.
“My concern is my hair has been falling out for the last four weeks,” says Tracey Fearn, who lives at the complex.
Fern shared the results of an independent mold test that she had performed at her apartment. The results indicated that there was mold on clothing, picture frames, and furniture. She also says that other residents have been contacting her via social media with similar complaints.
“My son would notice symptoms, sniffly and start to cough, irritated but when we would leave the apartment, it would clear up,” said Bennett Augustoni, who recently moved into the complex.
Christina Romelus, the City Commissioner of Boynton Beach, says that she is aware of the testing and confirmation of mold. She says that the city has reached out to LeCesse Development, the developer of the apartment complex.
“I would hope, as a main piece of our downtown, they would be amenable to working with us to fix this problem,” Romelus said.
Thomas Hayden, the Director of Development of LeCesse Development, released a statement, which read: “It has been recently reported that there have been incidents of mold growth found on clothing and personal items at 500 Ocean Apartments in Boynton Beach, Fla. While we share in residents’ concerns that mold may be present, based on preliminary reports from an environmental testing agency, we believe these are isolated instances due primarily to the actions or lifestyles of the residents rather than the physical condition or performance of the building.”
In Hayden’s statement, he also addressed the mold growth in the 500 Ocean apartment complex, stating that despite the fact that is mold growth has been reported to be a community-wide problem, that he strongly disagrees; however, he says that because they want to alleviate the concerns that residents may have, they are taking the necessary steps and are arranging to have a significant number of units in the complex tested by an independent company. He also said that they will get in touch with all of the residents who live at 500 Ocean and will conduct air quality tests on their units, if they request testing.
Exposure to mold growth is known to cause health problems, which can vary and range in severity. Symptoms of mold exposure include sneezing, itching, eye irritation, nasal congestion, headaches, and fatigue. It can also cause coughing, wheezing, respiratory infections, organ damage, memory loss, and in some cases, it can even cause death.
Mold Inspection & Testing Palm Beach has years of experience performing mold tests in apartment complexes throughout Palm Beach and the surrounding areas, including Boynton Beach. We strongly recommend that property owners arrange for regular mold testing to ensure the safety of their residents. To speak with an MI&T representative, call 561.910.0881.
