FLAGLER BEACH -- Colleen Intihar dreamed about opening a quaint store in Flagler Beach that shoppers would love to visit.
 
She leased what she thought was a perfect site close to the water, which she cleaned, refurbished and transformed into Tangerines Gift Shoppe. Today, she sits helplessly by as her store closes and thousands of dollars worth of goods are dumped.
 
"These are my dreams being packed away," Intihar said tearfully. "I have to turn people away and tell them I'm closed."
 
According to Intihar, 39, when she purchased the Central Avenue shop in September, she inherited more than inventory. There was mold inside the walls, the ceiling and in the air. Intihar operated for weeks unaware of the severity of the problem.
 
But then her landlords also were unaware until Intihar finally told them.
 
Regina Clemons and Renee Worthington both said that although Intihar did notify them of structural issues she was having with the shop, they waited to begin repairs at her request. They are still waiting, they say.
 
"We do have the responsibility to make those repairs, but we have to have the access to do that," Worthington said.
 
Intihar, who also is a licensed aesthetician, first noticed the wooden wall in the backroom of the shop bowing outward. Her first impression was that it was a cosmetic issue, harmless and easily fixed. In anticipation of Christmas shoppers, Intihar postponed repairs. By November, her voice was gone and the symptoms began.
 
"All of a sudden my whole life has been turned upside down," said Intihar, a resident of Beverly Beach. "I can't eat, I can't function, I can't do anything."
 
Before October, the mother of three said she had never been seriously ill. She now suffers from respiratory problems, memory loss, hair loss, headaches and fatigue from being exposed to the mostly airborne toxic mold.
 
With the help of Susan Tidball, president of Florida Mold Patrol, Intihar collected samples from certain areas of the store. She then sent the samples to a lab. Tests pointed to unusual mold conditions.
 
Greg Fisher, a certified indoor environmentalist and mold remediator, acknowledges that although mold may not be visible, it can still cause physical discomfort, particularly in Florida where dampness often sets in.
 
"It's a matter of dosage and exposure just like any poison," Fisher said.
 
"Spores are in the air all the time, it's just a matter of it landing in a place (it) can grow," said Fisher, who also is the president of Air Quality Services LLC in Daytona Beach. "You have to make sure the exterior of the structure is watertight."
The mold problem also has strained Intihar's relationship with the owners of the building, Clemons, her husband Richard, and Worthington.
 
While Intihar made a porch project of moving her goods from the store to nearby storage Wednesday, Worthington and Regina Clemons arrived with lawyer John Murray. An obviously distraught Intihar denied their request to work from the back porch to keep the front of the building eyesore-free for other nearby tenants. Their eventual departure left Intihar sobbing in frustration.
 
According to Clemons, she was unaware of the mold problem, which would have been discovered and dealt with if they had the opportunity to get into the building.
 
"If you don't know what problem exists, you can't take care of it," said Clemons.
 
The two business partners also own several other refurbished properties adjacent to Tangerines, none of which have had any noticeable mold problems.
 
Other tenants interviewed were satisfied with Clemons and Worthington's responses to complaints.
 
Since the unusual spate of hurricanes last year, mold continues to be a problem in Flagler Beach. The Flagler Beach Police Department was forced to vacate its building in April 2004 after having structural and health issues similar to Intihar's.
 

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