Residents of an apartment building in District Heights, Maryland, report a mouse infestation and mold — which one resident believes sent his and his girlfriend's children to emergency rooms for trouble breathing.
In a story you’ll see first on 4, News4 was there as Prince George’s County inspectors investigated residents’ reports about the North Hills Apartments. The inspection came after resident Ted Carpenter posted video on social media showing his living conditions.
“It’s mold all over the walls. It’s mold all over the roof,” Carpenter said on video showing dark patches inside a utility closet attached to his apartment.
He told News4, “I posted that video out of anger, to be honest. I was angry. I was like, ‘No one is helping me. No one.’”
Carpenter said he learned about the mold in his unit shortly after he moved in in 2019. He said workers hired by the complex painted over the mold at one point. Property management said they have no record of that.
Carpenter also complained of a rodent infestation.
“I am catching these things by the fives,” he said in his online video.
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His dog died of leptospirosis, he said. According to documentation from Carpenter’s veterinarian, the dog suffered from the disease, which can be caused by contamination from rodent feces exposure.
Carpenter said he was concerned about how the living conditions may have affected his entire family, especially his and his girlfriend’s daughters, who were in and out of emergency rooms for breathing issues. In one instance, he said a child needed to be airlifted to a children’s hospital for care.
“When they were going back and forth to the hospital, we didn't understand what was going on,” he said. “We would be in the house, we would tell them, ‘Don’t go outside, don’t run too much,’ because we’re thinking them going outside too much is the cause of the asthma.”
Carpenter paid to have the mold in his apartment tested, through the Mold Test Company. News4 has verified that the company recommended mold remediation.
Others residents of the building shared their own concerns.
“I’m scared to turn the air on because of the mold smelling,” James Price said.
“It’s, like, water coming in when it rains. It’s water coming inside the apartment,” Sheri Blount said.
Carpenter said heavy rain that fell two weeks ago caused the county to condemn his apartment.
“The floor boards under my carpet caved in. I called emergency maintenance. They came here and said, ‘There’s nothing I can do for you.’ I called the police department. They told me to call the fire department. I called the fire department. The fire department come out here. At that point, they was checking to make sure the building wasn’t about to fall, collapse,” he said.
News4’s cameras rolled as inspectors went door to door on Tuesday. Property management asked us to leave.
Faria Management manages the North Hills Apartments and a number of apartments in the D.C. area. In a statement, Senior Vice President Charlie Blackmon said they bought the buildings in November 2021 and are committing $10 million to capital improvements. They said they have already invested $2 million. Their statement also addressed the leaks.
“On August 10, 2022, after a heavy rain fall, it was reported that water was infiltrating the building through the roof. The following day a roofing contractor investigated and recommended a replacement (a patch would not have addressed the issue, either in the short term or long term). The replacement was immediately approved by ownership and work is set to start on 8/25/2022,” the company said.
Carpenter said he and his neighbors are learning to advocate for themselves.
“I wasn't educated on my laws, and I wasn't educated on my rights, and a lot of my fellow neighbors aren't either,” he said.
County inspectors returned to the apartment complex on Wednesday to inspect additional apartments.
According to the code violation report obtained by News4, county inspectors are requiring the complex to fix a number of issues in two of the building's apartments so far, including Carpenter’s. They also are requiring management to inspect for mold and test air quality. If the owners don't take steps by September 2, they could face fines.
Management for the building said Carpenter did not cooperate when they tried to enter his apartment to make inspections; Carpenter said that's not true. Management also said it offered to transfer him to other units but he declined.
Carpenter said he found the units to be in worse condition than the one in which he is currently living. He said he was relocated with the assistance of the county.
