LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — McKenzie Murphy has lived at Patchen Place Apartments in Lexington with her daughter for more than a year. But the last seven months of living in her apartment have been a bit rotten, as she has watched specks of mold infiltrate the walls.
"It's going to be blowing right into my living room area above here on the vents and then making it's way up onto the ceiling," Murphy said.
She began to notice the "little specks and stuff" coming from the vents, she told LEX 18's Kayleigh Randle as the two toured the apartment Friday. Now, her apartment is condemned after Lexington Code Enforcement discovered what they believe is black mold growing from within the walls.
"So it kind of started more down here in my living room area in my vents around August, I want to say. Just a few months after I moved in," she said.
Murphy said that she's been voicing her concerns for a year now, and each time maintenance would spray and paint over the mold only for it to come back. She took the issues into her own hands, and contacted Code Enforcement.
They confirmed with LEX 18 that Murphy's apartment did have what they believe to be excessive mold.
The inspection notes read:
"Mold was found in the bathroom and around the HVAC vents...missing smoke detectors need to be replaced...unit needs to be treated for pests...and the HVAC system return is not connected to the unit with a missing air filter."
It's not just the mold Murphy has to worry about. She said that the day after code enforcement inspected her apartment, she was given an eviction notice.
"They told me that once I turn in my keys on the 11th and was out of here, that then they would drop the eviction notice for me," she said.
LEX 18 did reach out to the owner of Patchen Place Apartments, who shared with us a small claims complaint against Murphy, dated for today.
According to Code Enforcement, the corrections must be completed by September 3 or there will be a $2500 fine.
