NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A pregnant mother has been forced to leave a rental home infested with toxic mold. She's been looking for emergency housing, but so far hasn't had any luck.
In July, Morgan Hartman was excited to move into an Antioch home with her 4-year-old boy and their pets. But days later, she spotted a black spot. It ended up being toxic black mold, according to a lab test.
Alexandra talks with Morgan about her emotional situation in the player above.
"So, I’m already just very taxed and maxed out from everything that comes from being in a high-risk pregnancy, but my son, he’s 4. He was born premature, so everything that has to do with ear, nose and throat feels very scary," Hartman said.
The mold started making her sick, and she got a note from her doctor.
“It’s excruciating as a mom to watch him go through this and know that what I thought was the very best decision I could make for my tiny growing family and my children turned out to be something that has made us tremendously sick,” Hartman said.
She and her son moved into a hotel, but now PURE Property Management said they won't pay for it, according to a letter. NewsChannel 5 reached out to PURE Property Management and left two messages at their Nashville office but did not hear back.
In addition, they terminated her lease, and asked her to move her stuff out — something she can't do.
"They gave me this deadline, and it just felt like a very cruel joke knowing that three days before Christmas I’d be rendered homeless with no physical ability to move my things, no funding to move my things, no current income on an unpaid maternity leave," Hartman said.
The other tenant in the duplex is in the same boat. They said they moved out due to health concerns.
Attorney Megan Geer at Collins Legal has stepped in to help.
"Their lack of action and complete disregard for her and her situation. It’s incomprehensible," Geer said.
Greer said the legal process takes time, and time is something that Hartman doesn't have.
"They failed to do anything when she reported it initially and put her in this position," Geer said.
Hartman called a long list of places for help, but most emergency housing is filled up.
"Nashville as a greater whole is facing a tremendous low-income housing and homelessness crisis right now that leaves a lot of us unable to get the urgent help that we might need to navigate such a crisis,” Hartman said.
She's scheduled to give birth any day now.
"It’s been very emotional. It’s been very exhausting. It’s been very all-consuming," Hartman said.
According to property records, the owners appear to be out of California, and NewsChannel 5 messaged them on Facebook but didn’t hear back.
To help pay for the hotel, Morgan has a GoFundMe page.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
