Mold can be a very serious problem in homes and apartment buildings. It should not be taken lightly. Some Fort Myers property management companies are looking for ways on how to improve handling this growing problem. Recently, the owner of the south Fort Myers apartment complex admitted about having a mold issue in their apartment building.  Audubon Cove management told winknews.com that they’ve been battling mold in their units for many years.  Now they are looking at solving the said problem.

Residents were ecstatic that the units at Audubon Cove have been under construction.  Although, management of the apartment are no longer accepting calls from winknews.com, they are doing something to fix the problem. Winknews.com aired the story about the residents’ complaints on October 29th of this year.

One of the residents complained to the management about a mold problem inside her apartment. According to the tenant, she was afraid that her children would get sick because of the holes and the mold coming through the paint. According to the news, Kim and her three daughters lived previously in a condemned apartment. It experienced a fire this past May. She and her children then moved to another apartment full of mold.  Even though, the apartment has mold, the management has raised her rent $75 from $625 to $700 a month.

The resident was quoted as saying, “I’ve been calling them once or twice a week for about four months.  It’s in writing, in their office, my move in paperwork.”  She then called WINK News Call for Action to help her with her problem of getting the mold fixed. WINK News agreed to air her story.  After four months of phone calls, e-mails and certified letters, Audubon Cove management finally admitted that there was an issue with her unit. Genevieve Judge, a WINK News reporter asked Jeffrey Libert, the owner of Audubon Cove’s parent company in Massachusetts in an interview, “Is mold an issue at Audubon Cove in Fort Myers?” Libert said, “Yes it is.  It’s an issue and it’s an issue that we’re addressing as fast as we can.”

For a week, the Audubon Cove management put the tenant and her three daughters up in a hotel.  The management of her apartment paid for their room.  Catherine Hulsinger, property manager of Audubon Cove said in an interview when WINK News called for an update, “Due to the negative manner and light to which you betrayed the owners of properties, there will be no further interviews,”

If you are even in a situation like the tenant mentioned in this article, do as she did. Document the events, keep a paper trail backing up your claims, correspondence with the property manager, phone calls, emails, text, letters etc. Since the tenant had paperwork backing up her claims and took photos of mold in the apartment she was able to get results after going public. Now there are no signs of mold in their apartment and Kim is very happy for the results.

The Thanksgiving holiday is not only known for its delicious turkey dinners but also for the biggest sales  events that retail as well as online stores offer to consumers. In this competitive market, people are urged to “buy locally” because supporting your own products will help revitalize communities, improve working conditions, and have a positive impact on the environment.

When it comes to eateries, many people still believe in the 100 mile diet and this idea is focused on eating only foods that are available within 100 miles from them. They do not travel to other places because they believe that by buying local food, they are able to reduce the impact on the environment by reducing the number of “food miles.”

With Fort Myers property management plan to increase the number of establishments in the area, it is easier for consumers to identify with local independent stores and restaurants. Jennifer Williams is a 30 year old entrepreneur who took a gamble when she opened Jennifer’s Boutique at the intersection of McGregor and Cypress Lake in south Fort Myers. Despite major changes in the industry, her business continues to go strong. According to Williams, “The way people shop has changed, there’s a lot more to choose from,” She added, “What we sell is quality and that’s something that really can’t be duplicated. We sell service. We have a lot of customers who want personal attention, want special gift wrapping.”

Williams reminisced the time when people would spend their money locally, when more small business owners like her were able to stay in business. She described their business as a “dying breed.” Small Business Saturday was created three years ago by American Express. The struggle of retail stores inspired American Express to put up Small Business Saturday. It focuses on independently owned stores.

In downtown Fort Myers, the area is surrounded by local shops and restaurants. And that’s why Kathy Simmons and her husband Gary decided to open their store, Charme, here recently. According to Simmons, “I get a sense from residents that they’re so proud that this is their beautiful town again and they come out to support us.”

The support of residents is very important to small businesses especially now in this day and age when computer has made everything convenient for consumers. At present, people can easily shop and dine in just a couple of mouse clicks. People can order food and other things that they needed at the comfort of their homes.