Expert: Walter Hintz - 4/29/2009

Question
i just moved out of a house that is one year old, I am being sued by the owner.. he claims that a caged ferret caused so much damage in one of the rooms that there was mold underneath the carpet in the whole room... in the second room he stated that there was so much human urine that it caused mold in that whole room also..he had to replace carpet in both rooms.  At no time did the house ever smell of any urine,(I shampooed the carpets and kept them clean,i own 2 cleaners).. Myself and him were painting in the rooms last week and there was no smell of anything(no reason to suspect any damage whatso ever).. I have always kept my carpets clean, I bought a $2000 vaccuum and use it daily.. Our neighbors who just moved out told me that their closets were full of mold (same owner and same builders) Both rooms in question, it was so cold and damp in there this winter the kids could not even sleep in the rooms..I had to shut the doors and have them sleep with me and in the living room.  He had specialits come in and say that there is mold down to the wood floor.  Again there were no odors of any kind anywhere in the house.  I have an attorney and plan to fight him.  I just need a specialist to tell me about mold,urine,carpet.  If its possible for that much damage with out there being any odor.  I also work in the Microbiology dept at the local hospital and plan to address this with the head of the Dept.  Thank you for your help, I am tired of being taken advantage of (there is no man in the house, i get taken alot)

Mary Tofflemire


Answer
Hi Mary
AS you know this is a legal problem nd I can only speak to the biological one.  Mold occurs under wet and moist conditions.  Unless youe are leaving water around it seems that the control of mold is the responsibility of teh landlord.  Ferrets can cause odors but not mold.