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HOUSE
COOKING:
Instead
of remediating mould problems, some mould remediation firms
purposefully create and proliferate mould growth in an attempt to
cash in on high-rate mould removal and clean-ups. Read this
important news article about "house
cooking"!
Investigators
probe invasive mould scam
By
Robert Preuss, published on
cmmonline.com,
June, 2002 |
|
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Instead of cleaning up mould, some remediation
firms purposefully proliferate mould growth in an attempt to cash in
on high-rate clean-ups.
That's the disturbing report from the Texas Department of Insurance,
which is spurring investigation into the alleged practice of
"house-cooking."
A description of the practice appeared in the
Corpus Christi Caller-Times:
Workers
convince the homeowner that a mould problem exists and occupants must
leave the house. Then they foster mould growth by closing windows,
shutting off ventilation, putting wet towels in the house/and or
wetting upholstery and fabrics, and cranking up the heat.
So, far the state's attorney general has not filed charges against
any firm. Suspicion, however, fell on Nueces County when insurance
data revealed that, although it was responsible for only 1 percent
of the state's homeowner's policies, it was the center of 8 percent
of mould-related claims of $15,000 or more.
According to the Caller-Times, Department of Public Safety
and US Customs officials searched the offices of mould Inc.,
Portland, TX, under warrant, but no charges had been filed.
News that this dubious practice might be occurring surprised sources
contacted by CMe-News Daily, including Irvine, CA-based
Attorney Edward H. Cross, who specializes in indoor air quality
issues. Cross wondered if anyone — other than those in the employ
of insurance companies — found evidence related to the
allegations.
'Cooked' houses yield clues
One source — a principal with an investigating firm — told the Caller-Times
that, in one case, a homeowner blamed an air conditioning unit
for a mould problem. Investigators found a tool box that had been
flooded, indicating that water had been poured into the home.
There may be other kinds of clues in 'cooked' houses.
"For the most part sprayed drapes (resulting in mould) and moldy
furniture in absence of a flood, other water intrusion or HVAC
problems would certainly raise some big questions. I think that if
this 'cooking' scam is suspected, it can also be proved within a
reasonable certainty," said Patrick O'Donnell, of Enviro Team,
a Pompano, FL-based consulting firm and environmental microbiology
lab that specializes in diagnosing indoor environmental problems.
>> More Mould
Scam Stories. |
