Editor’s Note: This article was updated to add new details about the dispute between two former residents and the leasing company for Aqua on 25th.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — 10 On Your Side first told you in March about a tenant at Aqua on 25th’s battle with The Breeden Company.
It’s been three months, and she’s since moved out, but not before conducting environmental tests through ‘Mold Test Company’ and ‘MycoTOX’ inside her apartment. The results, she said, were shocking.
When we met Stephanie Vann, she showed us a city building inspection for Aqua on 25th. Vann was a tenant at the time and went through the list of code violations. Vann moved out on May 11. A month before she left, she shelled out thousands for three environmental tests taken of her 5th floor unit after unexplained health problems popped up.
“It was a lot of kidney and bladder issues. My last doctor’s visit that I had actually had blood in my kidneys. I was on multiple rounds of antibiotics back to back. It wouldn’t clear up. That’s what led me to test the water initially thinking that it was maybe a result of that. And in talking to the water lab, they were the ones that also kind of encouraged me to do the the air testing,” Vann told 10 On Your Side Tuesday afternoon.
The tests were done in April. Vann said all three came back with elevated levels of Chaetoglobosin A, also known as black mold.
Black mold is a fungus that can trigger an immune response. The mold forms following a water leak or in an area with water damage.
“This is my medical test showing that for black mold specifically, I’m more than double the exposure that is recommended,” Vann explained.
Brandi Cotton, a math teacher at Great Neck Middle School, also lived at Aqua and moved out days after Vann.
“When it would rain, like we would get that ringing around the vents and we’d ask and they’d come and paint and tell us, you know, it was taken care of. I’m fairly healthy. My partner is a medically retired Army vet,” Cotton said.
Like Vann, Cotton lived on the top floor for the last two years. Not long after moving in, she noticed extreme fatigue, unexplained fevers and headaches — which made her job as a math teacher, softball and cheer coach extremely difficult. Three weeks ago, she was diagnosed with COPD. She’s never smoked. Her test results also revealed high levels of black mold.
“Everything that is abnormal [in the results] has to do with water damaged buildings. It’s not us just saying these things, you know, Now we have the scientific proof behind it,” Cotton stated.
The Breeden Company sent us the following:
“The Breeden Company believes in demonstrating excellence in everything we do and upholding the highest standards for our communities and residents. To this end, we take our residents’ concerns seriously and always act immediately to mitigate any issues. When faced with issues, our property management teams work with our maintenance staff and the top restoration and repair companies in the area to provide the best and quickest resolution for our valued residents.”
Mark Denny, vice president of property management, the Breeden Company
Addressing the accusation of black mold, The Breeden Company recently did receive a complaint from a resident at Aqua on 25th Street that was deemed unwarranted by a thirty-party restoration company [First Atlantic Restoration].
The restoration company concluded in its 4-page report that there was no evidence of black mold, but did note concerns with resident restricting vent circulation in the unit and residue being left in the unit from potted plants. Following up on another water leak concern from another resident, repairs are being done on the building siding to mitigate the issue.
The Breeden Company said: “Ms. Vann did not provide her testing results after being requested by The Breeden Company in hopes to better understand the origin of the test she mentions and its credibility. The only evidence we have seen of this test were the shots shared in this news story footage, which, according to experts questioned, do not show that all levels are elevated as mentioned. First Atlantic Restoration’s inspections have not found black mold.”
10 On Your Side obtained full copies of the environmental reports for Vann and Cotton that show elevated levels of Chaetoglobosin A, Gliotoxin and Ochratoxin. Chaetoglobosin A is a form of black mold, Gliotoxin and Ochratoxin are molds that grows as a result of water damage.
The Breeden Company also told us: “Aside from these concerns with this property, as a follow-up to the Stephanie Vann story you previously reported on, all of her claims were dismissed by a judge.”
Vann filed a “Tenant’s Assertion and Complaint” on April 22, 2024. The complaint was dismissed by a judge in May 2024 because of an error on the form. It is unclear whether Vann plans to refile.
Vann showed us photos taken of the roof on Aqua on 25th. The photos she told us show mold up and down the roof.
The Breeden Company told us the photos of the roof are not black mold.
“We have to take back some some power here. They can’t continue to control the narrative because they control the money,” Vann said.
Both Vann and Cotton say they plan to take further legal action. The Breeden Company, again, said there is no black mold.