Illinois condo residents in mold fight

WILMETTE, Ill., Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Residents of a senior citizens condominium in a Chicago suburb say the local government should be responsible for alleviating a mold problem.

To help spur public awareness of the situation, residents of the Village Green Atrium in Wilmette, Ill., threw a Mold Fest Saturday, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday.

The building was converted from a curling rink to 33 apartments in 1983. Residents say that the building has been plagued with water leaks and mold because of poor work by the original contractor, although they acknowledge subsequent condo boards contributed to the problem.

Wilmette officials say the condo association is responsible for maintenance and repairs.

The village buys back all available apartments and then resells them to keep prices affordable. A lawyer for the residents said that unusual arrangement, which prevents residents or their heirs from profiting on the apartment sales, means that the village should pay major expenses, like the estimated $600,000 cost of the mold removal.

"I haven't seen anything set up this way, where people are supposed to be self-sufficient, yet the village has control over it," Jordan Shifrin told the Tribune. "You can't have it both ways."