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House Cooking:
Investigators
probe invasive mold scam
By Robert Preuss, published
on cmmonline.com, June, 2002
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Instead of cleaning up mold, some
remediation firms purposefully proliferate mold growth in an attempt to cash in on
high-rate clean-ups.
That's the
disturbing report from the Texas Department of Insurance, which is spurring investigation
into the alleged practice of "house-cooking."
A
description of the practice appeared in the
Corpus
Christi Caller-Times: Workers convince the homeowner that a mold problem
exists and occupants must leave the house. Then they foster mold growth by closing
windows, shutting off ventilation, putting wet towels in the house/and or wetting
upholstery and fabrics, and cranking up the heat.
So, far the
state's attorney general has not filed charges against any firm. Suspicion, however, fell
on Nueces County when insurance data revealed that, although it was responsible for only
1 percent of the state's homeowner's policies, it was the center of 8 percent of
mold-related claims of $15,000 or more.
According
to the Caller-Times, Department of Public Safety and US Customs officials searched
the offices of Mold Inc., Portland, TX, under warrant, but no charges had been filed.
News that
this dubious practice might be occurring surprised sources contacted by CMe-News
Daily, including Irvine, CA-based Attorney Edward H. Cross, who specializes in indoor
air quality issues. Cross wondered if anyone — other than those in the employ of
insurance companies — found evidence related to the allegations.
'Cooked' houses yield clues
One source
— a principal with an investigating firm — told the Caller-Times that, in one
case, a homeowner blamed an air conditioning unit for a mold problem. Investigators found
a tool box that had been flooded, indicating that water had been poured into the home.
There may
be other kinds of clues in 'cooked' houses.
"For the
most part sprayed drapes (resulting in mold) and moldy furniture in absence of a flood,
other water intrusion or HVAC problems would certainly raise some big questions. I think
that if this 'cooking' scam is suspected, it can also be proved within a reasonable
certainty," said Patrick O'Donnell, of Enviro Team, a Pompano, FL-based consulting firm
and environmental microbiology lab that specializes in diagnosing indoor environmental
problems.
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