CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — A tenant in a California City home says she suffered from mold, which effected her health and caused her to stop working as a nurse.
- Latasha Lott, a tenant, says she's been living in motels or staying with friends after mold forced her to move out.
- Home manager says that the tenant wrecked the house on purpose.
- Lott claims the mold stem from issues with the way the house was built.
- Manager, George Mamayan, says he has proof that the mold did not come from building procedures.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter in California City, where one woman claims within the span of six months black mold grew inside her home.
Latasha Lott says that fungus forced her to live with friends or motels, and says the manager, George Mamayan, needs to pay her for having to move out. but he claims she wrecked the house on purpose.
"And, I turned around and looked and I just stood there. I was like: what the hell? Because it's movin'. It's not just there. It's alive."
Latasha Lott showed me inside her home... telling me about the mold that was on the walls and the ceilings.
She said it was so bad, she had to move out.
"Due to black mold growing like wildfire throughout the whole house. The floor buckled, the mold started growing and I didn't know it was there," Lott said.
She says she paid 2,500 dollars a month but stopped due to the mold and other issues.
She says the manager George Mamayan owes her at least 6,000 dollars for living expenses in the past two months.
And claims the mold has given her health issues.
Virgen: "How would you describe that experience?"
Lott: "Awful … I used to be a nurse. Now, I'm nothing. I'm a dead person sitting here because the mold has basically killed me."
Lott believes the mold stems from issues with the way the home was built.
Mamayan declined to go on camera but says he has proof that the mold did not come from improper building procedures.
He says dog feces and urine ruined the floors of the house and that heat was never used.
He said: "I'm not a mold expert. It's just common sense. All of this was done on purpose."
Mamayan says he recently spent about 10,000 dollars for repairs.
He claims that she intentionally did not let him know about the mold but Lott disputes that…
"There's a lot of people in California City with the same problem. They're just scared to come forward until they get their house red flagged or they die or their loved ones start dying. Then they say something. That's too late," Lott said.
Mamayan said: "I've been here for more than 20 years. I manage properties. I have more than 40 doors. You can interview any one of my tenants. We never have issues like this. And if I do have any issue, we're on it right away."
Legally, Lott can move back in as he remains in the process of evicting her.
Mamayan says no court date has been set and that the matter is pending.
In California City, I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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