TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KERO) — Frances Landon, a 90-year-old Tehachapi resident, fears for her health as she fights to have what she says is mold removed from her apartment. With certified test results in hand, she's demanding action from management who deny the problem exists.
"I have. And, I'd like to live a little bit longer," Landon said through tears. "I'm sorry. But, the way it's going, I won't last too much longer."
Landon says she notified her apartment manager about the mold problem in her bathroom more than five months ago.
"They just kept poo-pooing off on me, you know, blowing me off, I guess, you kids call it today," she said.
With the help of family and friends, Landon continues to battle with management over the issue. Her caregiver, Stephanie Bird, describes Landon's determined spirit.
"She's so kind and there's not much that you can't say about her. She brings a lot of fire to your life. In good ways, of course but she's just great," Bird said.
Landon paid $350 to have an inspector test her bathroom for mold. According to her, the certified results confirmed the presence of mold in the shower and at the base of the toilet. The mold in the shower is a fusarium type, which in rare cases can be deadly.
As an oxygen tank user with existing breathing issues, Landon reports her breathing has become even more difficult lately. She says she had to visit the emergency room for treatment this past weekend.
"I don't take guff from anybody. I never have. Never will," Landon said.
The Michaels Organization, responding from its national office in New Jersey, stated in an email: "There are no visible signs of mold in the resident's apartment and our tests of the apartment did not detect mold. We did repairs to the toilet."
I reached out to Tehachapi's code compliance and public works director Don Marsh about the situation. Marsh says when residents are dealing with mold issues, it's best to communicate with the landlord first. If that doesn't resolve the problem, the next step is contacting Kern County Code Compliance. Marsh noted that the city has mediated in some mold cases to help resolve issues between residents and landlords.
"All I want is the mold to be gone. They won't fix it and I don't know what else to do," Landon said.
Landon, who will turn 91 this December, says she will not pay her rent in September if she's not reimbursed for the money she paid for mold testing.
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