With foreclosure, concern over mold

LAND O' LAKES - When two condo units at Glendale Villas in Land O' Lakes went into foreclosure, neighbors were understandably concerned about their own property values.

That was last spring. Now, people who live close to units 3 and 4C say property values are the least of their concerns.

"This is people's health. These are people's lives, how do you put a price on that," said Andrew Holsinger.

The problem is that both units are covered, floor to ceiling, in mold.

"These particular units in this association are the worst I've ever seen," said Kathy Bramhall, who manages the complex for a company called Condominium Associates. "The units are uninhabitable and would cause respiratory problems for anyone living in a surrounding unit."

Not long after the units went into foreclosure, there was a sewage leak. That in turn caused the mold to start growing out of control.

After numerous complaints, the Pasco County Health Department sent an inspector, and the county ordered that the sewage be cleaned up. It was, and now a spokeswoman for the Health Department told FOX 13 the case is now closed.

Code enforcement officers are legally prohibited from entering private property, and as a result, they are powerless to do anything to force the former property owner or the bank that will soon own the units to clean up the mold.

"We have to just throw our hands in the air and say we've done everything we can," Holsinger said. "We've called everybody. We don't have the funds to do what's necessary. It just makes you want to scream and shout, and you just can't do anything with it."