Mold & Foreclosures Take Hold at a Chicago Condominium

Oct. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- Last week the Chicago Journal reported a story about a three unit condominium complex in Wicker Park.   The complex, located on a picturesque section of Leavitt Street, has faced a daunting problem being played out across Chicago and Illinois.

In late 2008 the owner of the ground floor unit died and the property has been primarily abandoned ever since.  The bank that has taken possession of the unit has not yet been able to sell the condominium and has not been paying association dues.  

During the past several years the small HOA has paid to keep the utilities running in the unit, but recently it was discovered that a broken pipe had flooded the unit and the basement.   The condo was filled with mold to the point that mushrooms were growing out of the carpeting.

Ed Chambers, the President of EC2, Inc., a Chicago based environmental and building sciences consulting firm, see cases like this on a regular basis.  “The troubles that the real estate market has witnessed over the last several years have caused thousands of homes in multi-tenant structures to become abandoned,” reported Mr. Chambers.  “It only takes a small pinhole leak in a pipe to cause extensive mold damage which leads to costly repairs that may not be completed for some time depending on the legal state of the property.  What makes cases like these all the more tragic is that mold growing in one unit with shared walls, ceilings and floors can often spread mold and other microbial contaminants and cause indoor air quality (IAQ) problems for other occupied units in the building.”

Companies experienced with these types of events like EC2, with over 5,000 IAQ investigations successfully resolved, are experts at identifying microbial problems and finding solutions.  To learn more about solving environmental and IAQ issues please visit http://www.4ec2inc.com, email info@4ec2inc.com or call (815) 703-9000.

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About EC2, Inc.
EC2 is a leading provider of environmental consulting and inspection services for clients across the United States. Based in the Chicago area, the company provides their services to clients ranging from local companies and institutions to international Fortune 500 corporations.