- June 29, 2019
Rotting walls, falling ceilings, and black mold are just a few things on the list of complaints that tenants of an apartment complex in Ray County are complaining about.
The tenants are frustrated with the unsanitary living conditions. They’re even more frustrated that nothing is being done to resolve the problems they are experiencing.
Chris Graham, a tenant of C&L Apartments in Richmond, says that everyone in his family has gotten sick because of the mold in their apartment. He says that the baby is suffering the worst.
“She was diagnosed with RSV and bronchitis, and we explained we didn’t know where it was coming from,” he said.
Graham said that he started to investigate the apartment building and that he could not believe what he discovered in the units directly below his.
“This is all mold,” said Graham.
Not long after he discovered the mold, the entire building was condemned by the city. The Graham family and other families who were living in the building moved to other units in the complex. However, they could not understand why inspectors would not assess the other buildings, as well, to ensure their safety.
“This is mold – one thing he’s tried to paint over, and it’s come back through,” Graham said. He has three children and his girlfriend is expecting a baby.
Beulah Sanders lives a couple of doors down from Graham. She says that whenever it rains, water pours through the ceiling into her bedroom and runs into the doors on her utility closet. The ceiling inside the closet has collapsed, too. Water stains and what appears to be mold are coating the ceilings and walls. There’s white fungus growing on the carpets, too.
Sanders says, “Nobody should have to live like this.”
A local news station reached out to the owner of the building. The owner declined to do an interview, but he did insist that some work has already been done. He said that repairs on the foundation will begin soon. A new maintenance person was hired, as well.
The residents of the apartment complex said that they will believe it when they see it.
Sanders says that he can’t afford to move to a new place.
The city of Richmond says that its hands are tied. There are no “property maintenance” codes in the city, which would allow it to inspect rentals. At the present time, a complaint has to be filed stating that conditions are unsafe, then the city has to ask the landlord for permission to check for dangerous violations in the building.
The administrator for the city of Richmond says that the ongoing concerns about the C&L Apartments could promote renewed discussions regarding property maintenance codes and making sure that owners are held accountable.
Mold Inspection & Testing Kansas City has vast experience performing mold inspections in apartment complexes throughout the city. We strongly encourage the owner of C&L Apartments to arrange for mold testing to ensure the safety of the residents. To speak with an MI&T representative, please call 913.912.4577.
