09:57 AM EDT on Thursday, June 1, 2006

By JEFF SONIER / 6NEWS
E-mail Jeff: JSonier@WCNC.com

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A second lawsuit has been filed against a Charlotte developer, Ryland Homes, with another former neighbor claiming mold in the home he purchased from Ryland made his family sick and forced them to move out.

The 6NEWS Investigators first reported on the mold problems in Union County’s Hunter Oaks neighborhood back in February. Ryland Homes bought back four homes in the neighborhood for $1.7 million, then did thousands of dollars in renovations to moldy and muddy crawlspaces before reselling the homes to new owners.

The former Hunter Oaks resident who is involved in the latest lawsuit told 6NEWS he doesn’t want his identity revealed because he fears going public could cost him his new job. He claims mold-related health problems cost him his old job.

"The diagnosis was made, and they found I had high levels of black mold and other molds in my blood, and in my lymphatic system," said the man.

6NEWS

This photo shows lesions or ulcers on the man's body.

Air sampling done by a privately hired home inspector and sent to a testing lab showed black mold spores in his home office. The man also supplied the 6NEWS Investigators with photos showing sores and lesions on his body, letters from his doctors documenting “toxic mold exposure”, and home videos of his moldy crawlspace and frequently flooded backyard.

Also, a note from his wife’s doctor warned her to “live in a hotel until the home was fixed.”

"I'm at a point now, based on where my immune system is, I'm susceptible to just about everything," he said.

The man says he is looking for answers in the lawsuit against Ryland Homes. Ryland Homes’ Charlotte president, David Nelson, has refused all interviews since talking to 6NEWS on the phone about the mold problems back in February, claiming “there were no elevated levels of mold inside the homes” in Hunter Oaks, and that Ryland has no evidence of a connection between mold and the illnesses of the families who lived there.

The latest lawsuit claims that the homeowner was “disabled” from the effects of mold exposure. In response, Ryland Homes denies that mold contamination can “disable” anyone. An earlier lawsuit filed against Ryland by another former Hunter Oaks homeowner who lived two doors down says their family also suffered similar mold related illnesses.

In response to the 6NEWS “Home Sick Home” investigation, Ryland Homes’ headquarters in California issued a written statement:

"Ryland took great care to ensure the comfort of our homeowners.

Although independent testing indicated that the moisture in the crawl space underneath the home did not pose a health risk, we removed it. In addition, in an effort to ensure our customers were satisfied, we bought back the home and paid for the family's temporary lodging as a courtesy.

We firmly believe that the case will show Ryland went above and beyond to do the right thing."