Shed-dwelling senior says mould in apartment causing health issues

A Midland senior unable to afford rental housing and suffering health impacts from interior mould has been living in a scooter shed on the property of her Scott Street rental home for the past month.

“I do have a room I can go to, but it’s coming to its end," Debbie Lloyd says. "It was only meant for a couple of days because it was really crappy weather.”

The 67-year-old has been entangled in a landlord-tenant dispute regarding what she says is toxic mould found in the building where she's lived since 2022.

At the start of the month, Lloyd had moved into a seven-by-six-foot garden shed she had once bought for her mobility scooter. Inside, blankets have been draped on the walls as there was no interior insulation.

“These are just little blankets, but they do make a difference. But the duct tape is falling off now because it’s so cold,” Lloyd told MidlandToday.

According to documents supplied by Lloyd, her story began when she moved into the home in the summer of 2022.

During a home inspection for a heating efficiency program, Lloyd says the home inspector informed her that there was mould in the basement and vermiculite in the attic. Lloyd says the landlord was alerted to the issue in October 2022 and told her it would be fixed.

She says a handyman and ex-plumber performed the service in late November of that year.

In early 2023, Lloyd says she began to suffer from respiratory problems and was diagnosed as having lost hearing in one ear along with other medical issues, which her records noted was a result of environmental contamination.

Lloyd contacted the landlord regarding her breathing issues, and another handyman “with a shop-vac” cleaned out the ducts, she says.

Lloyd went to the emergency department at Georgian Bay General Hospital this past July, but she says when medical staff couldn’t find the cause of her illness, they prescribed sinus medication and sent her home.

The next day, she says a furnace repairman confirmed “a very extensive mould issue” had found in the basement.

Lloyd, who says she used to be a private investigator, continued to document mounting evidence on the condition of the home as well as conversations and interactions.

As her health continued to deteriorate, Lloyd says was given two fans and advised not to use building's air conditioning system.

That same day, Lloyd’s caregiver attended the home and was asked to go take photos of the basement, as Lloyd says she was too sick to do it herself.

Documentation showed belongings from the landlord’s mother as contributing to the mould. A building inspector test indicated “extremely high toxic mould readings,” according to Lloyd, in the basement as well as upstairs where she had her bed and living-room chair.

Town bylaw officers received a report from Lloyd in August, where a property standards bylaw order was issued to the landlord. As town bylaw met on the property, Lloyd stated that the landlord was putting blame on thread-worn curtains and unwatered plants as the cause of mould.

Lloyd spoke with OPP and submitted a report in late September as she was paying her final bill, including all documentation and photos, as well as a written statement.

“I know the Criminal Code,” Lloyd stated. “What she has done to me is a criminal offence. It’s called ‘criminal negligence causing bodily harm.’ Medical reports have found the mould inside me, inside my lungs, in my blood. My ear’s gone deaf from it.”

As MidlandToday was speaking with Lloyd, the landlord and local lawyer Martin Prost of Prost and Lediard, Devry Smith Frank LLP accessed the home, carrying dehumidifier units.

Lloyd expressed surprise as she had been previously informed it would be a remediation company that would be attending and installing equipment.

“This all could have been resolved months ago,” the landlord told MidlandToday, refusing to elaborate further.

When asked if other properties were owned by the landlord within Midland, the response was “no rental properties.”

After inquiries were sent to the supposed landlord, Prost responded by email: "The landlord has decided that it would not be wise to engage a media story prior to the Landlord and Tenant Board" (LTB) hearing set for Nov. 21, 2024.

MidlandToday asked Lloyd if there was any immediate help that could be granted. She replied that after having spoken to Mayor Bill Gordon, housing options through Simcoe County were provided. A rental unit in Orillia was listed at $1,400, which she says was beyond her means.

"I recall speaking with Debbie about her issues," said Mayor Bill Gordon, "and connected her with bylaw and the County of Simcoe homelessness prevention team.

"The county can help with emergency shelter and other housing options, but she and her landlord are following the process with the LTB and the town has no jurisdiction in these matters beyond the property standards compliance orders — which may be included as her evidence in the hearing."

Gordon noted that he connects people to county resources routinely, but that the housing stock that Midland has fought through economic woes and other municipal obstacles may not currently help Lloyd.

"Expect more housing options in Midland over the next one to four years, including purpose-built rentals ... but they can't come soon enough for many, including Debbie," Gordon concluded.

A landlord tenant board hearing is expected in the near future.