# Mold remediation issue



## SANTYY30 (May 1, 2015)

So here we go again guys,

It's my belief we are all (most of us) taking a huge liability on providing the causes of mold at different properties, on top of the already liability of breaking into all these properties which don't belong to the banks yet. We have been forced by the Nationals to provide the cause of mold and in some cases we are guessing the cause of mold because the client does not want to approve a 3rd party mold bid or plumbing bid. We have a property right now, for the Nationals that we have been dealing with for months, for a Mold remediation. As usual we treated the property (bleach, kilz) the cheapest way, the client way. The mold came back as expected and now it is worse. We bid from the beginning to remove drywall and replace it but it was not approved (twice). Now they want us to replace all drywall at no cost (crazy). I need a couple of ideas from the experts here to answer the national, I already told them I will not complete at own cost because of the bids we submitted and were never approved. What do you guys think?

thank you .


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## Fantasticfordme (Aug 31, 2015)

I am no expert but from my personal experience if you bid it and or reported the issue multiple times, it is their problem they dropped the ball which is common place as they rarely pay attention to bids or job notes or PCR's. I had a property with a hole in the roof that I bid every two weeks for repairs etc...for three years...somebody woke up one day and went ballistic because of serious mold damage, rotten trusses, sheathing etc. I reported it and or bid it 72 times (completely true story) and it was ignored so ultimately any liability they tried to pawn off on me went away...as did the property...Good luck hope it all works out for you, it seems that preservation common sense or experienced people on the staff at the "Nationals" is disappearing.


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## P3+ (Aug 16, 2012)

So you are openly admitting you bent your morals/ethics in exchange for a few pennies, and NOW after they pinned you in a corner it is an issue? No offense but you are getting exactly what many of us have been Crying Wolf about for years. It just pisses me off reading this post, straight n simple.


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## NJERPP (Sep 2, 2016)

I have been through similar instances with Screw-guard and the hand full of siblings, I put together all of the work order numbers, what I bid along with dates. I also sent them any proof of other contractors being there before me (always have a photo of the sign in sheet), if contractors were there prior to you and you can prove that you submitted bids simply tell them sorry this is not my issue, another thing I do is include in any bleach/kilz bids that I am not responsible for the mold returning if bids are approved, you can also google the proper way to re-mediate mold and send that to the national showing that bleach/kilz is nothing but a cheap mask. GOOD LUCK!!!


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

SANTYY30 said:


> As usual we treated the property (bleach, kilz) the cheapest way, the client way. The mold came back as expected and now it is worse. We bid from the beginning to remove drywall and replace it but it was not approved (twice). Now they want us to replace all drywall at no cost (crazy).
> 
> thank you .


You stated you are repeatedly doing work that you know is below standards for a typical middle man paper contractor that epitomizes why the industry has such a bottom feeding reputation, and you want advice on how to get your bids approved, meaning you plan to continue doing business with them.

No one can give you the answer you want to fit into that box.

I can only tell you that the better the client, the better you are.


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## Wannabe (Oct 1, 2012)

Well let me jump in on this 

Florida requires ALL properties with any sign or indication of mold (discoloration) to have a licensed Industrial or Environmental Hygienist provide an inspection and a protocol in ORDER TO DO ANY REMEDIATION. 

Once the protocol is completed a licensed (YES Florida Requires a LICENSE) to do any mold work with bonds, pollution liability and general liability AND a proper licensed General Contractor do all Demolition of any materials in excess of 6sf. 

Once this is taken care of.... A licensed Mold Inspector can monitor the remediation and will issue a directive to the Hygienist that the property is ready for final 3rd party testing... AS required by law in Florida.....

MAN I love Florida!!! We just had a guy in Jacksonville doing monitoring for a Hygienist who has an office in Melbourne. 

Now YOU may not love Florida if you actually just completed a "mold remediation" in the State since you have a 75% chance of being sued when the property sells since there is NO AS IS sale on a Real Estate Disclosure for Mold since it is a State Law for proper remediation. Not saying that its just how you did the job but as a State as a whole.... Lawyers refer to mold as Black Gold for a reason. 

I'd suck it up and complete the job and move on and hope that nobody gets sick or consults an attorney....


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## Breezrk2014 (Oct 25, 2016)

I did a property that the entire basement was covered in mold. The worst I ever seen. I was told by a nieghbor it was because the houses were built on land with a high water table and all the homes suffer from it. This house had been vacant for more than 7 yrs. so here I come into the mix. Company, can you treat it with bleach ? Me: did you get my pictures ? Company: yes, but 25 square feet is included in the flat fee. Me : did you get my pictures ? The ENTIRE basement, all walls, ceilings, floors are covered for a total of over 700 sguare feet. No, I won't do that. This plays out again and again. Last time in, and yes I wore a respirator on all my visits, I observed a lonely spray bottle on the floor. Seems like some poor soul tried to remedy a basement full of mold with a spray bottle.


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## SANTYY30 (May 1, 2015)

thanks for all the comments guys, well what can i say I wish we had a Union for the industry. I will stand ground and I will no complete at cost.


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## HomePS (Jan 24, 2013)

You ****ed up and did it the half ass way you should be charged. You agreed to "fix" the problem but hacked away instead of staying away. Hopefully your insurance drops you after a 30k fix, maybe that will weed out the "I own my own business now" people


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## SANTYY30 (May 1, 2015)

HomePS said:


> You ****ed up and did it the half ass way you should be charged. You agreed to "fix" the problem but hacked away instead of staying away. Hopefully your insurance drops you after a 30k fix, maybe that will weed out the "I own my own business now" people


ar you referring to me??


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## JoeInPI (Dec 18, 2014)

Well the first problem is that anyone working on mold without certification and/or with bleach and Kilz isn't doing mold remediation and they should stop calling it that, and/or people should stop taking the work as such.

We will NOT do ANY mold work, because we do NOT have certification, and the thought of a new homeowner or their little kid getting sick b/c someone thought bleach and Kilz was a great solution is sickening to me.


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## SANTYY30 (May 1, 2015)

JoeInPI said:


> Well the first problem is that anyone working on mold without certification and/or with bleach and Kilz isn't doing mold remediation and they should stop calling it that, and/or people should stop taking the work as such.
> 
> We will NOT do ANY mold work, because we do NOT have certification, and the thought of a new homeowner or their little kid getting sick b/c someone thought bleach and Kilz was a great solution is sickening to me.


I understand your point. the problem is. We are in Florida Mold is on every house, if you Refuse to work on Mold then your initials secure will decline to 0. Why? because you can asses the property 100 % so by not dealing with mold you are pretty much destroying your account. So we are basically force to do it. I am in the process of becoming a Mold Re mediator just need to pass the state exam already open the company i believe is the only solution.


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## safeguard dropout (Apr 21, 2015)

SANTYY30 said:


> I understand your point. the problem is. We are in Florida Mold is on every house, if you Refuse to work on Mold then your initials secure will decline to 0. Why? because you can asses the property 100 % so by not dealing with mold you are pretty much destroying your account. So we are basically force to do it. I am in the process of becoming a Mold Re mediator just need to pass the state exam already open the company i believe is the only solution.


Even when you become mold certified, you will still receive work orders to Clean and Kilz.
How does being certified change anything? Will you still do them?


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## Wannabe (Oct 1, 2012)

Santy,

Yes Florida requires licensing. With licensing comes regulations that you are required to follow. I've heard from a close Hygienist friend in Florida that the Licensing Board is actively pursuing fines on unlicensed contractors with an emphasis on foreclosured homes. 
I'm sure you understand that you need pre and post mold testing by a CIH or a CIEC or someone grandfathered. The avg cost is $750 for pre and $1200 for post clearance testing. 

Good luck. Do the right thing and don't worry--the Mortgage Company/Service Companies will step up and take responsibility.


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## G 3 (May 3, 2015)

Wannabe said:


> Santy,
> 
> Do the right thing and don't worry--the Mortgage Company/Service Companies will step up and take responsibility.


I find this one hard to swallow. Do you actually believe they will take responsibility? Me, I think not.


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## Ohnojim (Mar 25, 2013)

*I am most sure, that was a bit of sarcasm.*



G 3 said:


> I find this one hard to swallow. Do you actually believe they will take responsibility? Me, I think not.


Bean counters only see the beans.


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## Wannabe (Oct 1, 2012)

"Tongue in cheek" boys. Hel* would freeze over before the Service/mortgage companies would help. 

Let's all be give Thanks today!! 
Happy Thanksgiving


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## SANTYY30 (May 1, 2015)

Wannabe said:


> Santy,
> 
> Yes Florida requires licensing. With licensing comes regulations that you are required to follow. I've heard from a close Hygienist friend in Florida that the Licensing Board is actively pursuing fines on unlicensed contractors with an emphasis on foreclosured homes.
> I'm sure you understand that you need pre and post mold testing by a CIH or a CIEC or someone grandfathered. The avg cost is $750 for pre and $1200 for post clearance testing.
> ...


I am not going to lie, Mold Remediation is expensive as all of you know, and we also know the bank wants the cheap fix. But lately this year we have seen an increase on approvals here with big money i am talking 32 k on mold removal all walls from a property they are also approving our bids for containment barrier, HEPA filters, full face respirators etc.... To more of a surprise we got a $575.00 approval for a 3er party mold remediation company to just provided lab testing and samples from a property. I know in some states is probably not enough to do such but here in Florida, you have tons of people fighting over the penny and we can manage to do the entire estimate for $575.00. Believe or not this is a huge step for us taking into consideration the nationals refuse to pay for Mold testing and labs.On the liability point of view. Well we all BREAK into peoples home every day with a ghost work order from the Nationals. Just look on the work order and read what it says for property owner.


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## Inspectorgadget (Sep 28, 2015)

State of New York you need to be licensed and certified: Home Safety and HealthMold-Related Licensing
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Mold-Related Licensing: Frequently Asked Questions

Jurisdiction

What is a Mold Project?
A Mold Project is defined as mold remediation, mold assessment, or mold abatement, of areas greater than ten (10) square feet undertaken for purpose of mold remediation or abatement. It does not include:

routine cleaning, or
construction, maintenance, repair or demolition of buildings, structures or fixtures undertaken for purposes other than mold remediation or abatement.
The mere presence of mold does not trigger any obligation to obtain an assessment or perform remediation. However, if a property owner does elect to hire either an assessor or remediator, for the purposes of mold assessment or remediation, those individuals must be licensed and follow the requirements in the law.

When does the new licensing requirement take effect?
January 1, 2016. On or after January 1, 2016, it will be unlawful for any person to engage, advertise or hold themselves out as a mold assessor, remediation contractor, or abatement worker unless they have a valid mold license, issued by the Commissioner, for the type of work they will be performing. Individuals who do so may be subject to a civil penalty.

Will there be any extensions to the mold licensing requirements?
No. There will be no extension of the mold licensing requirements of Article 32. Please check Approved Mold Training Course Providers for a list of Department-approved training providers.

Licensing

What are the Mold-related Licenses?
Presently, there are four (4) mold-related licenses:

Mold Assessor License
Mold Remediation Contractor License
Mold Abatement Worker Supervisor License
Mold Abatement Worker License
How can I find a licensed contractor?
You can search for licensed mold assessor and mold remediator contractors by using the Department's Licensed Mold Contractors Search Tool.

Mold Assessor License

Who is required to obtain a Mold Assessor License?
Any business that:

engages in mold assessment on a project,
advertises that it is a mold assessment company, or
holds itself out as a mold assessment company.

AND any individual who inspects or assesses property for the purpose of discovering:

mold,
conditions that facilitate mold, and/or
any conditions that indicate they are likely to encourage mold.
What must an applicant submit to obtain a Mold Assessor License?
An applicant for a Mold Assessor License must:

be eighteen (18) years of age or older,
satisfactorily complete a Mold Assessor Training Course from a Department of Labor approved training provider,
pay the statutorily required application fee of $150, and
submit proof of:
Workers' Compensation coverage (if required),
Disability insurance coverage (if required),
Liability insurance coverage of at least $50,000 providing coverage for claims from the licensed activities and operations performed according to New York State Labor Law Article 32.
Mold Remediation Contrator License

Who is required to obtain a Mold Remediation Contractor License?
Any business engaged in mold remediation. Mold remediation is defined as the business of removal, cleaning, sanitizing, or surface disinfection of mold, mold containment, and waste handling of mold and materials used to remove mold from surfaces by a business enterprise, including but not limited to, sole proprietorships.

What must an applicant submit to obtain a Mold Remediation Contractor License?
An applicant for a Mold Remediation Contractor License must:

be eighteen (18) years of age or older,
satisfactorily complete a Mold Remediation Contractor Training Course from a Department of Labor approved training provider,
pay the statutorily required application fee of $500, and
submit proof of:
Workers' Compensation coverage (if required),
Disability insurance coverage (if required),
Liability insurance coverage of at least $50,000 providing coverage for claims from the licensed activities and operations performed according to New York State Labor Law Article 32.
Mold Abatement Worker Supervisor License

Who is required to obtain a Mold Abatement Worker Supervisor License?
Individuals who draft Mold Remediation Work Plans and serve as mold site or project supervisors. Mold abatement is defined as the act of removal, cleaning, sanitizing, or surface disinfection of mold, mold containment, and waste handling of mold and materials used to remove mold from surfaces by an individual.

What must an applicant submit to obtain a Mold Abatement Worker Supervisor License?
An applicant for a Mold Abatement Worker Supervisor License must:

be eighteen (18) years of age or older,
satisfactorily complete a Mold Remediation Contractor Training Course from a Department of Labor approved training provider, and
pay the statutorily required application fee of $50.
Mold Abatement Worker License

Who is required to obtain a Mold Abatement Worker License?
Any individual engaged in mold abatement. Mold abatement is defined as the act of removal, cleaning, sanitizing, or surface disinfection of mold, mold containment, and waste handling of mold and materials used to remove mold from surfaces by an individual.

What must an applicant submit to obtain an Abatement Worker License?
An applicant for a Mold Abatement Worker License must:

be eighteen (18) years of age or older,
satisfactorily complete a Mold Abatement Worker Training Course from a Department of Labor approved training provider, and
pay the statutorily required application fee of $50.
Exemptions to Article 32 Licensing Requirements

Are there any exemptions from these licensing requirements?
Yes, the following persons/entities are not required to obtain a license in order to perform mold assessment, remediation, or abatement:

A residential property owner who performs mold inspection, assessment, remediation, or abatement on his or her own property;
A non-residential property owner, or the employee of such owner, who performs mold assessment, remediation, or abatement on an apartment building owned by that person where the property has four or less dwelling units;
An owner or a managing agent or a full-time employee of an owner or managing agent who performs mold assessment, remediation, or abatement on commercial property or a residential apartment building of more than four dwelling units owned by the owner. This exemption will not apply if the managing agent or employee engages in the business of performing mold assessment, remediation, or abatement for the public; and
A federal, state or local governmental unit or public authority and employees thereof that perform mold assessment, remediation, or abatement on any property owned, managed or remediated by such governmental unit or authority.
Are agents (Consultants and/or Contractors) of a governmental unit or public authority exempt from the licensing requirement in Article 32?
No. The exemption only applies to federal, state or local governmental units, public authorities and their employees.


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## Inspectorgadget (Sep 28, 2015)

https://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/safetyhealth/mold/frequently-asked-questions-licences.shtm


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## miguelgarbutt (May 23, 2017)

I agree with SANTYY30.


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## safeguard dropout (Apr 21, 2015)

Oscar Kane bot has resurfaced.


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## JeremyNicholson (Oct 30, 2020)

Any new cleaning product which can do the best mold removal and it can be available at cheap?


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