Pocono News Section

Mold Mess Drives Couple From Home

Mold Mess Drives Couple From Home - Monday, July 6, 2009 at 5:35PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Monday, Jul 6, 2009 @ 05:35pm EST
A Lackawanna County couple has been forced to leave their home.. And they will soon lose everything in it. For more than six months, the Shaffers have been staying with family because their home makes them sick. The culprit --mold.

Cladosporium, aspergillus / penicillium. Big names for an even bigger problem. Mold...it's the only thing living inside Michael and Gail Shaffer's home along Ash St. in Moosic. The Shaffer's had to move out about 6-months ago because they say the mold was making them sick. "I can't breath good once I get in." "It's uninhabitable!" says Gail Shaffer.

The Shaffers have been living out of their pick-up truck and with relatives since they moved out. And, they continue to pay a mortgage on a home they can't live in. "We bought a brand new house. Had a lot of nice furniture in there. We've lost everything."

Their mold mess started when a pipe burst in their laundry room. For 5-years, they've been wrangling with home manufacturer Fleetwood and dealer Wyoming Homes. Both companies fixed mistakes the Shaffers say were made but it wasn't enough. "It wasn't remediated properly and it just continued to grow till we started getting really sick."

They've tried to sue Fleetwood, but the company has filed for bankruptcy. Cleaning the home themselves will cost more than the house is worth. "I've gone to Red Cross, I've gone to different agencies, and if we were in a fire or flood there's help. Mold, no."

All of their possessions and their home may have to be destroyed. The Shaffers just hope the mold hasn't destroyed their health too.

Fleetwood wouldn't make a statement but stands by a test performed in 2007 that claims the home is mold free. Wyoming homes denies it caused the problem. And insists the Shaffers could have taken steps to prevent the mold from getting worse.