A Healthier Place to Live for A Veteran
Carl is a young veteran who began suffering from severe headaches, a chronic cough, and extreme tiredness. When his symptoms got so bad that he had trouble taking care of himself, he moved in with his sister. Once in her home, Carl began feeling better so he returned to his apartment.
Soon after, Carl began getting sick again. This time, he required hospitalization. While there, doctors determined that he was suffering from exposure to black mold, which was growing throughout his apartment’s air ducts and vents. When alerted to the problem, the apartment manager decided all that was needed a good coat of paint, which was applied directly over the growing mold.
Needless to say, Carl’s symptoms did not improve with this cosmetic treatment, so he sought the help of Legal Aid. The attorney contacted the manager to negotiate an early move-out as well as reimbursement of some of the rent paid to cover the time in which Carl could not live in the apartment due to the black mold.
Although the manager initially refused to consider the request, he ultimately agreed that it was the right thing to do. Carl not only received a rent refund, but also the full amount of his security deposit, which enabled him to find a healthier place to live.