PEPPERELL -- The Davis family, whose financial and health problems stemming from mold that pervaded their Shawnee Road home have been well-documented, received unexpectedly good news last Wednesday when the bank that holds their Fannie Mae mortgage told them they will be released from the document.

"Washington Mutual Savings Bank [of Jacksonville, Fla.] and Fannie Mae is charging off the mortgage," Nancy Davis said. "It's just wonderful news. We heard June 23 at 2 p.m." She said the bank's process is to contact its investors and "ultimately," the mortgage will be charged off.

The Davises haven't made mortgage payments for several months and accrued $10,000 in penalties every three months. Their credit cards are almost maxed out and their totals they can borrow have been reduced.

"I feel wonderful, but I still have a lot of work to do," Davis said.

One thing still to do was to send to the bank copies of an insurance report saying that the house is uninsurable, a decontamination bill for their two automobiles, and air quality reports from two different companies.

Another is to continue working with residents of other communities who, having read and seen news reports, have called Davis for help with their situations.

She finds it "very interesting" that on May 28 the Department of Housing and Urban Development released a "Radon Gas and Mold Notice and Release Agreement" that is now a requirement for all HUD home sales contracts to make certain that purchasers know radon gas and mold may cause health problems.

"My next step once the paperwork is done is to approach the town to tell the Board of Health that I want to see this through," Davis said. "Thank God this news releases anything with the town having to do anything [with the house] as I see it."

Davis said she did not ask why the bank excused her mortgage. "I guess the reason the bank is taking it back is obvious," she said. "We haven't paid the mortgage, I'm now out of work, and we're in financial ruin."

Last month, Davis repeated her story before the health board for the first time. She had hesitated to ask the property to be condemned she said because the family would have had nowhere to move to. It might also have jeopardized a lawsuit her husband, Rich, filed against the former owner, home inspector and two Realtors. That suit is still proceeding.

Meanwhile, Davis said she "can't say enough about [attorney] April Babbitt" who represented her in foreclosure proceedings. "She did [the job] unselfishly. She is an amazing woman," Nancy said. "The bank asked if I wanted to move back into the house. I said 'Noooo,'" Davis said.

She had sent a letter to one of the bank's vice presidents who was assigned the case and told her story about creeping illness and the toxicity of the molds in the house. She had been diagnosed with Sudden Onset Asthma, and coughed constantly despite HEPA filters in every room, and was prescribed Allegra, inhalers, a nebulizer and steroids. She had endured unexplained rashes, headaches, nosebleeds, and became allergic to allergy shots.

"He said it was the saddest letter he ever read," Davis said. "To have someone with feeling working in a big bank is amazing."

Davis did not know what might happen to the Shawnee Road house.
 

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