7 on Your Side: ABC7 I-Team Investigation gets county to act on dangerous mold
An ABC7 I-Team Investigation has uncovered something dangerous growing inside a house in Prince George's County.
Neighbors say it's been making them sick for months. And they've been pleading for help from county health officials for months,
but say the county has done nothing.
As ABC7's Jay Korff explains, the neighbors were fed up so they turned to 7 on Your Side.
For Tim Meadows and his family, the problem is getting worse every day.
Inside the walls of his townhouse, Meadows discovered what he believes is making them sick.
Back mold is creeping into his house and it's coming from the abandoned townhouse next door, which is in a "short sale" status.
"The mold is so crazy over there that it's actually growing in on our side of the wall," he says.
The mold started growing after the damaging spring rains, he says.
And the news from a mold expert proved even more alarming. The professional test results were through the roof.. getting the highest score possible.
Meadows says he looked to Prince George's County environmental officials for help, but got little help other than having the house posted as unfit for habitation.
Gary Cunningham, the deputy director of environmental resources, admits the county has known about the dangerous health hazard for three months and even had it boarded up because of the mold.
"We've made attempts to get in contact with the owners," he says.
But 7 on Your Side found the homeowner in one day and our I-Team producer confronted her.
The owner told ABC7 to turn off our cameras and said it was none of our business, and threatened to sue.
"Neighbors have been saying that it's been about five months that mold has been growing.
Now, finally, after 7 on Your Side got involved, the county says it's going to get a court order forcing the homeowner to clean up the mold.
Cunningham admits that the county began that process only after 7 on Your Side called and inquired about the problem.
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