HOUSE COOKING
MOULD REMEDIATION FRAUD

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, and 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.


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