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For a brief moment, Oksana Schmidt poses with her daughter Ariana next to the uninvited guest.
Sandro Zulianreporter news
Oksana Schmidt (39) is desperate. Since the mother of two moved into a four-room apartment in Flawil SG at the beginning of November this year, she has had problems everywhere. Literally, because mold has been growing in three of her four rooms since moving in. The air smells stale and foul. The black carpet eats through the walls – she can probably throw away the sofa and the wardrobe.
According to Schmidt, it all started on November 2, just one day after moving in. She immediately reported the problem and tried to fix it herself, even though she had just given birth. The mold expert who was called in then took on the problem, but also mentioned that the house was “wrongly built” and the problem could return. You just have to ventilate properly, they said to the puzzled mother. She has been doing this three times a day since the start of the lease. For Schmidt it is clear: “They just painted over it.” Vain.
“I just want out of here!”
The partly toxic black mold suddenly appeared more frequently and now overgrows entire walls when Blick visits. Schmidt says he reported the problem again and said the situation is getting worse. But there was no response from the management and owner of the house, she says.
Oksana Schmidt, her husband, Ariana, who was just born, and 18-month-old Aurelio have all slept together in the only room that is not infested since the beginning of their mold crisis. Because Schmidt has signed a one-year contract and can only move out if she finds a new tenant. “But I don’t want to let any other woman with children in here. I just want to get out of here!”
Some things about the building not optimal
On request from the administration and owner of the house, Verwaltungs- und Treuhand AG VTAG from Flawil, it says: “We were shocked when we examined the apartment after the first report.” However, the real estate manager concerned and Schmidt’s first point of contact does not want his name to be read in the media. He was also never there himself.
“Some things about the building are not ideal,” he admits. However, Ms. Schmidt only made a second report about mold on December 12. Likewise, VTAG offered her alternative housing and options. However, the tenant denies this. They didn’t even offer her a rent reduction.
“Don’t live in it”
In the end, however, it was Schmidt who no longer reported, according to VTAG, which is why no action was taken. Now, after the holidays, the mold should be removed again. When exactly is unclear. The case is now with the arbitration board.
Until then, one thing remains for Oksana Schmidt and her family: dangerous. When asked by Blick after viewing the pictures, a mold expert said: “You should definitely not live in it. This is category 2, which means the highest level of danger.”