MERIDIANVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
A Meridianville couple is afraid another family might have the same issues they've had with their landlord.
Lisa Garamella thought she and her husband found a great rental home in Meridianville this spring. Six months later, the couple is moving out of the Leesburg Street home.
"The mold started working its way out through the wall coverings and the outlet covers," said Garamella.
The property has mold on several vent covers and even the front side of a toilet.
The Garamella's recently had the home tested and were alerted to the health hazards.
"It's absolutely everywhere," said Garamella.
The couple claims they've alerted property manager, Ilyasha Anderson, about the problem, but were shocked at what they heard back.
"We could use our renters insurance to go find a hotel to stay in, which is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of in my entire life, or we could just get out immediately," Garamella said.
The couple spent Labor Day weekend moving out of the property.
Garamella claims she's brought several other issues with the house to Anderson's attention, including poison ivy growing around the property and the maintenance of the pool, but lots of the problems were never fixed.
The Garamella's said they've learned a valuable lesson about renting property, but they fear someone else will have a similar fate.
"I have zero faith they're going to fix this property," she said.
Anderson's company did a walkthrough of the property a few months ago and never spotted any mold. Now that she's been alerted to the problem, she said is in the process of getting it cleaned up. She believes the work will be done in a few weeks.
The BBB said it's important to do a walkthrough of any property before moving forward.
If there are any issues, you want to note them, ask questions, and follow up.
Alabama is a so-called "buyer beware" state - meaning for a lot of issues, it's your responsibility to check things out.
The BBB said they're flooded with phone calls about management companies and allegations of shady dealings all the time.
Be sure to do your research.
Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.
Alabama is a so-called "buyer beware" state - meaning for a lot of issues, it's your responsibility to check things out.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WAFF, a Raycom Media Station. 