In flight Swine Flu fears

When the upstairs toilet sprang a leak, water seeped into the walls of the apartment below.

The downstairs resident ordered an environmental report that indicated black mold had formed in the kitchen and under a bathroom vanity.

Melissa Mangiagli (pronounced: Man-Jelly) lives in the apartment. The 30-year-old told Messed Up she is asthmatic and sensitive to mold.

“I know there is visible black mold and in the air,” she said. “I hired an environmental engineer. They told me it is black mold. I have allergies and asthma. I had a massive sinus infection.”

Mangiagli said she repeatedly asked the apartment management to remediate the problem, but she didn’t get the response she felt was necessary.

“They told me I was overreacting,” she recalled. “That it was not mold, that this was not serious. I wanted to say, ‘Yes it is!’”

Messed Up talked with corporate officials about Mangiagli’s situation.

By phone, Joey Bruce, director of maintenance for Venterra Realty in Houston, Texas, said, “We responded and repaired the leak. We tested the unit. The testing report was negative for mold. It came back for allergens and that kind of thing, but not black mold. Apparently after initial repairs, we didn’t know it was ongoing problem.”

Bruce also told Messed Up that contrary to what Mangiagli said, the apartment had no record of her calling in the operating system.

“When a resident calls,” Bruce continued over the phone, “the first thing we do is track it in the system. No request was entered.”

I told Mr. Bruce that I have reviewed Mangiagli’s private report and it indicates the presence of black mold.

Bruce said he will investigate.