Mold Checked in Apartments

Negotiators for tenants at the Haster Gardens apartments brought in environmental scientists and a lawyer Monday to determine if mold and other health hazards are at toxic levels and if additional legal action should be taken.

“It’s important for us to know just how dangerous these molds are,” said Tom Simon, the lead negotiator for the Garden Grove tenants. He said he also wants to “find out early what effect this mold has on these kids.”

Scientists from Environmental Management and Engineering Inc. in Huntington Beach took mold samples from walls and carpets in six of 148 apartment units, and Simon said the samples will be sent to laboratories in San Diego, North Carolina and Germany.

But some aren’t waiting for lab results, due next week, to render their opinion. “I’ve done about 150 building assessments for fungus, and these apartments are the worst I’ve seen,” said Edward Cross, the environmental lawyer Simon brought in. Cross said various things, not just mold, may be making some tenants sick for months and, possibly, years.

Many children have developed asthma, and some adults report respiratory problems and infections they believe are caused by the conditions in their apartments.

Some apartments have no hot water, heat or electricity and are infested with roaches and rats.

About 60 tenants began a rent strike last month, refusing to pay until needed repairs are made. Simon and his company, Eviction Protectors in Huntington Beach, are representing the tenants. Six families already have filed civil suits against the property manager and owners.

Equity Management 2000 in Torrance, the property management company for Haster Gardens, said it has invested more than $100,000 in repairs, and conditions would have been worse had it not taken over the property in October.

Simon charged that Orange County and Garden Grove aren’t doing enough to protect the tenants’ health.

The county Health Care Agency’s environmental health division began investigating conditions at some apartments last month and, two weeks ago, notified the city and residents of potential health hazards and unsafe living conditions.

City Manager George Tindall said Garden Grove is taking action.

Last week, city building inspectors identified three apartment units as being uninhabitable and posted notices. Altogether, the city has deemed 31 units uninhabitable since October.

The city also filed a lawsuit in January against more than two dozen parties, including former and current apartment owners and property managers, alleging that the apartments violate building, health and safety codes.