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Residents Of Waterford Place Say Local Government Has Been Slow To Respond  

FOLSOM, Calif. -- Dozens of people in Folsom said they were duped into buying condominiums filled with toxic mold.
 
Now residents are taking their fight to the city, and some are alleging local government officials have been slow to respond.
 
Condominium owner Mike Sullivan is moving out of the unit he bought for more than $200,000 at the Waterford Place complex in Folsom. He said the condo is filled with mold.
 
"Now I'm stuck with a $215,000 mold incubator," Sullivan told the Folsom City Council.
 
More than a dozen people who bought condos in the complex took turns Wednesday night voicing their concerns to the council.
 
The owners are blaming the developer for the problem, but they also said the city is responsible as well.
"None of this was disclosed to us when we went to buy this that there was any signs of any mold," said Brenda Moore, who purchased a condo.
 
The city attorney said the problem is a civil matter between condo owners and Promethius Real Estate, developer of the project.
 
But the city approved the conversion of existing apartments into condominiums for sale.
 
A KCRA 3 investigation has uncovered that the city and the developer were well aware of the potential dangers from mold long before the condos were sold.
 
A report obtained by KCRA 3 and required to be on file with the city points out suspected mold in nearly 200 apartments. The report was prepared and filed with the city long before the conversion deal was approved.
 
"The preliminary report just didn't do any testing," said Amy Fagans, Folsom's director of neighborhood services. "It did identify that there was mold or mildew-like substances found in some of the units."
Almost every unit that was sold is mentioned in the report.
 
KCRA 3 asked the city about the report in early July. Amy Fagans, the director of neighborhood services, said she was concerned.
 
"We're going to be looking into that," Fagans said.
 
But residents said they have yet to hear anything from the city. They said the city is avoiding condo owners, and officials were also unwilling to talk to KCRA 3.
 
When asked why the city has not contacted owners, Fagans refused to comment.
 
"I don't want to answer that right now, OK?," Fagans said.
 
The condo owners have hired an attorney and plan on filing a lawsuit. In the meantime, many residents have moved out of their condos.
 
Residents said all they want is for the city to hold the developer accountable for the problem. Failure to disclose mold problems is a violation of city and state regulations.
 
Meanwhile, Promethius Real Estate has announced it wants to conduct tests of its own and will also pay for any necessary repairs.
 
http://www.kcra.com/news/9729361/detail.html
 
 

 

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