Could you give me the straight dope on “toxic” mold? I’m a home inspector and the science on this latest home hysteria seems a bit off. Nobody seems to know when/why/how the stuff turns up or turns “toxic.” I’d never heard of this stuff five years ago but now it seems like it’s everywhere.
9 Real estate industry: More panic.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Mold made headlines again a few years later. In 1998 the pipes in the Texas mansion belonging to Melinda Ballard and Ron Allison sprang a leak. Massive amounts of mold bloomed, but because most of the growth was inside the walls the couple didn’t realize what was going on for months. Meanwhile their son developed asthma, tremors, and learning problems, and Allison’s memory and ability to concentrate were so seriously impaired he lost his job. Ballard became convinced the problem was Stachybotrys and other molds. The couple sued, claiming their insurance company hadn’t moved fast enough, and in 2001 a jury awarded them $32 million. Since then mold-related insurance claims and lawsuits have multiplied, and builders and insurers are preparing for the worst.
