Page 1 of 1

"Black mold" in ceiling

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 1:16 pm
by sarabiax
Hello,

We have a 1995 Patriot doublewide, 28x48. We have outgrown it and really want to purchase a Solitaire. We spoke to a salesman who was extremely helpful, seemed honest and up-front about everything, and he told us that he gets paid on getting houses delivered, not on commission. He said he is sent to lots that are in trouble to help get things turned around.

We worked a deal with him where he showed us that part of what we still owe on our house will be put into the new loan, and that he expected a wholesaler to take our house for $8,000. He said he would come look at our house to see if Solitaire wanted to fix it and sell it or just let the wholesaler take it. I asked specifically if the condition of the house would be a deal-breaker, and he said not unless there are "major structural problems."

So he ran the deal through and go us approved for the loan. Meanwhile, this guy got transferred to a different lot, and now we have to deal with a new guy. My husband was not happy from the first time he talked to him - the guy didn't seem interested in helping us because, I assume, the deal was set up with no commission in mind.

To the point of my story - the guy comes to look at our house and of course, our house does need some work. One thing it does need is a new roof. The guy asked about leaks, my husband showed him a couple of spots in the master bath where the ceiling is sagging, and there is some black discoloration. He said, "Oh, that's black mold. We won't be able to sell the house but a wholesaler can take it."

A couple days later, the guy changes his tune, saying that the house is "condemnable" because of these two spots in the ceiling! He says he can't find anyone who will buy it. And he wants to add $5,000 to the cost of the new house! Adding that will basically mean we are completely absorbing our current mortgage on top of the new mortgage - we will be paying for both houses, but they get to take this one?? I don't think so.

We still owe $33,000 on our current house, and we knew we would have to absorb some of that cost. But can a mobile home really be deemed completely worthless because of a couple of black spots on the ceiling? We live in the West Texas desert and any moisture that accumulated that may have caused some mold growth would have quickly evaporated, so it can't be spread anywhere else.

Please, some advice? We're at the point of having to scrap the whole deal and trying to sell our house ourselves, which we didn't really want to have to do. We were actually getting a pretty decent deal even with adding to the cost of the new house. Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Sorry this was so long...

Re: "Black mold" in ceiling

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 6:01 pm
by David Oxhandler
I agree with you that the deal is not very attractive if you are giving away your old home but will not get any credit in trade. Reliable sampling for mold can be expensive since it requires special equipment and training. Testing is not generally recommended as a first step".... Read Remove Mold for a Healthy Home at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/home/ae1202w.htm If indeed you do have a mold problem if it is very localized you may be able to eliminate it yourself.

Re: "Black mold" in ceiling

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:38 pm
by sarabiax
I have read about mold and we are going to fix the problem. However, this salesman has told his superiors at Solitaire AND wholesalers that we have a mold problem when it is a very small issue that is easily fixed.

My husband spoke with the first salesman about this, and he agrees that it looks like someone is trying to make a lot of money from our house.

I guess my big question is - can a house be deemed completely worthless from 2-3 spots of mold on the ceiling? This guy claims that they will have to take our house and "dispose of it." Are there regulations regarding reselling mobile homes with a small mold problem?

Re: "Black mold" in ceiling

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:20 pm
by David Oxhandler
There are regulations in almost every state about reselling homes with live mold problems. You will have to ask for local legal advice or contact your local manufactured housing association If you remove the mold the dealer should be willing to negotiate. At this point in time every sale is very important. If you cant get satisfaction you may need to visit several other dealerships and see what the value of your home is to them.

Re:

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2017 3:16 am
by ashcroftashby
You can ask for expert advice or contact your contractor who worked on your housing project. It is not big issue that's why it is easy to fix.

Re:

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 2:06 am
by jarthor
I hope you're well. I need your help and suggestions. Recently, while rearranging the furniture in one of the rooms for a new look, I stumbled upon a patch of mold. It was hidden in the corner, behind where the old bookshelf stood. see attachment,

I'm thinking we might need to get someone who knows their way around mold to take care of it. Does anyone have recommendations, and what should I keep in mind when choosing someone?

Re:

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2023 5:46 am
by jarthor
Thank you guys i hired a guy from https://fsginspections.comand he did a great job.
Have a great day