Moldy Courthouse Creates Money Pit

I’m hesitant to discuss yet another case of courthouse mold, but the stories about the mold situation at the Rogers County courthouse in Claremont, South Carolina are too interesting to pass up. Those in charge seem to have made every mistake in dealing with mold and provide some textbook examples of what not to do, turning the courthouse into a money pit.

Apparently, the courthouse basement is susceptible to flooding, which is causing massive damages and creating mold. Rather than applying dry basement methods, the county commissioners decided to purchase flood insurance. As we know, there is a lot of grey area in most flood insurance contracts when it comes to mold. Often the insurance will cover damages and repairs that result from water, but not damages and repairs resulting from mold which the flooding creates. I hope they read over their contract carefully. After each flood, an outside company is hired to dry the courthouse out.

Even thought the flooding problem has gone uncorrected, the courthouse has spent money on mold remediation efforts several times, but it just keeps coming back. This is either because the original leak was never fixed, or the mold remediators were less than reputable – or both.

Recently, a visual inspection of the courthouse revealed a smaller scope of work than the bid requests for mold removal. Industrial hygienists warn that contractors who are less than honest or simply uneducated as to proper remediation procedures could actually cost the county more money if the job is done improperly or not solved.

Meanwhile, the courthouse just passed a resolution for a one-sixths cent tax increase for a new courthouse. It seems the best way to deal with the problem is to just rebuild.

What is it about courthouses that attracts mold so often? My theory is government bureaucracy impeding swift and necessary repair decisions combined with a lack of personal responsibility for the property. People might worry about mold in their own home, but with government buildings that belong to no individual, it’s always someone else’s problem. That’s just my take on it.

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