Family blames illness on mold infested home
A Naples family says mold is growing in their home and now it's making them sick. But the company that built the home says it's not their fault. For John and Diane Mathieu, their brand new dream home turned into a nightmare. "I don't want anybody else to go through what I have. I am fighting for my life because of that home," said Diane. The Mathieus say their home was built without proper water-proofing, which led to mold growing in the pillars.  See website:The Naples Lemon House

 Family blames illness on mold infested home
1/18/2008 6:13:34 PM by Adam Freeman
COLLIER COUNTY: A Naples family says mold is growing in their home and now it's making them sick. But the company that built the home says it's not their fault.

For John and Diane Mathieu, their brand new dream home turned into a nightmare.

"I don't want anybody else to go through what I have. I am fighting for my life because of that home," said Diane.

The Mathieus say their home was built without proper water-proofing, which led to mold growing in the pillars.

"It was basically like 10 or 12 columns with mold just feeding into the house everyday," said John.

John says he and his wife, who is battling cancer, as well as their two young kids are now sick because of the mold.

"One thing led to another and it just devastated a family," said John.

In a lawsuit, the couple blames the builder Assaad-Corace of Naples, along with several other companies, for the moldy mess. But officials with Assaad-Corace say they are not responsible.

"We're a reputable company and we haven't had issues like this in the past. We stand by our product and we feel these claims are inaccurate. We look forward to proving so in court," said Mike Assad of the Assaad-Corace Construction Company.

The Mathieus say they didn't even know about anything wrong with the home until it was too late. They warn the same could happen to you.

"We are able to fight this. But how many other families are going through this that can't fight it?" asked Diane.

While they aren't going back in the house, the Mathieus say you should make sure yours is built properly before moving in so your dream home doesn't turn out like theirs.

Click here to read more about the house.  The Naples Lemon House
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=16970&z=3&p=