Is Mold Concern in Your Home Something New?

By Gary Frueholz Engel & Volkers Real Estate

Historically the phrase “Black Gold” referred to petroleum below the surface of the land waiting to be converted into a whole host of profit-making derivatives such as gasoline, lubricating oils, and natural gas.

“Back Gold” is still a very popular phrase, but it is now used in relation to residential homes and the compensation potential resulting from damages to homeowners caused by mold existing in their residences.

Mold litigation during the twenty-first century has dramatically grown and may even surpass asbestos litigation in the near future. A 2001 landmark legal decision in Texas awarded homeowner Melinda Ballard $32 million when her family allegedly got sick from mold contamination. Ballard’s home was a mansion, and she initially sued her insurance company, Farmers Insurance Group, for $100 million. Within the next two years after this decision, annual filings of mold lawsuits in Texas increased by 1,300%.

Mold is a type of fungi found throughout the world. Mold needs moisture to survive and can grow on an array of different materials. There are over 5,000 types of mold — approximately 150 can cause allergies in people, and about 50 are capable of leading to toxic reactions in persons.

The proper understanding of mold issues increasingly shows up in real estate transactions. Realtors like myself will present clients with no less than five documents during the transaction, which either instruct or at least have a section telling the buyer/seller of the potential hazards of mold in the home and reminding buyers of their rights in conducting mold inspections.

Mold generally results from water inundation from plumbing problems, leaky roofs, or flooding. The presence of mold in a home can engage medical and legal professionals, neurotoxicologists, and neuropsychologists. Mold generally grows from moisture, warm temperatures, and a food source.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website gives detailed approaches to eradicating mold from solutions as simple as scrubbing to hiring mold remediation companies. The approach depends on what type of mold is present. An important first step is to have a professional analyze if mold is present and, if so, what type it is.

But is mold in a home something new?

In reality, residential mold treatment has been a point of concern for thousands of years. The book of Leviticus in the Bible, written in the sixteenth century B.C., dedicates half a chapter to mold identification and treatment. It covers an array of divine laws and addresses the treatment of mildew/mold in homes in chapter 14, verses 35-55.

So, the topic of mold in a home is not new. Historically mold has commanded attention for nearly four thousand years. And I am now continuing to read Leviticus for the chapter that covers liquidated damages.

Gary Frueholz is a realtor with Engel & Volkers Real Estate, a past member of the Alhambra Planning Commission, a Certified Senior Real Estate Specialist, Certified International Property Specialist, and can be reached at 626-318-9436. See his stories at garysstories.com.