Cody Segraves moved into the Trellis Herndon Apartments in April, and soon thereafter, he noticed the unit’s HVAC was leaking and having other issues.
Toward the end of August, a leasing office staff member came and changed the filter. Then, Segraves said, his wife got sick and has had pneumonia since mid-September. When the filter was changed again, Segraves said he was in the apartment and had an asthma attack.
That prompted him to look in the HVAC closet. He discovered what he suspected to be mold.
Other residents of the Herndon, Virginia, complex said they’ve uncovered something similar in their units. But when the issue gets raised to building management, Segraves said it’s ignored.
“They’re saying none of this is real, that we’re making it up and that we don’t know what we’re talking about, and they’re actively attempting to intimidate us into being silent,” Segraves said.
The issue isn’t only confined to apartment units, Segraves said, it’s also at the bottom of building staircases and along the walls of apartments that share a wall with a closet.
A one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit in the complex costs between $1,925 and $2,125 per month, according to the complex’s website.
“I’ve been sick, bad allergies, rashes, burning eyes, sore throat, dripping nose,” Segraves said.
Building maintenance workers are painting over the mold instead of fixing it, he said.
Hannah Green, vice president of TRU Management, which oversees the property, said the company takes mold complaints seriously.
The group took steps “to determine whether there was an accumulation of moisture and growth of mold in the area reported as alleged by any tenants,” Green said.
“Even when the alleged affected area was very small, we immediately engaged the services of an industrial hygienist to conduct the investigation,” Green told WTOP in an email.
If there is mold in apartments, Green said they’ll follow their obligations under Virginia law.
Segraves moved into a different apartment and said he found mold in that HVAC closet too.
“They painted over visible mold in there, and it’s already grown through a week and a half later,” Segraves said.
Fearing his concerns wouldn’t be taken seriously, Segraves sent a sample of the substance to a Florida-based lab. According to a report from Pro-Lab, the sample tested positive for mold.
“It’s stachybotrys, a toxic, black mold, fuzzy, here long enough that it’s physically fuzzy, growing off the walls,” Segraves said.
But on Sunday, Green sent an email to another resident of the complex, calling the data false and inaccurate.
“We have been in touch with our industrial hygienist and legal counsel and have determined that there is no safety issue to the property or residents,” Green wrote in the message.
Green also offered the resident to have her unit inspected.
Another resident, who asked not to be identified because they’re considering legal action, said there’s decoloration in their apartment and “they replaced some of the pieces, painted over it, and are pretending that there is no mold.”
Segraves, meanwhile, shared the sample results with Eugene Gravette, a building inspector with the Town of Herndon.
In an email, Gravette wrote that the town is in contact with apartment management regarding complaints of mold, but without authorization from them, town officials cannot enter mechanical rooms, which are locked spaces.
Segraves said he’s planning to move out, and is hoping other concerned residents do too.
“It’s not safe here,” Segraves said.
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