An apartment complex in south Alabama is being sued after allegedly enabling a spider and mold infestation in a unit that resulted in serious health problems for a plaintiff.

Lee Carter and his sister, Jimese Pritchett, filed a complaint against Oak Knoll Apartments in the Circuit Court of Mobile seeking $6,500,000 due to health issues caused by “unhabitable living conditions … black mold, spider infestation, sewer water” inside the residence.

Attempts to contact Oak Knoll Apartments were unsuccessful.

According to Carter’s declaration statement, he is wheelchair bound and lived at the residence for six years prior to it deteriorating due to negligence on behalf of the landlord and property management.

Carter said the issues initially started after an air conditioning unit broke but was not repaired despite notifying the landlord. Then, a pipe broke soon after and although a repairman supposedly fixed the pipe, Carter said it broke again and began seeping into the walls causing mold to form.

But the problem would only get worse, according to Carter.

“Approximately six months later, another pipe burst in the back of the home, this time carrying sewage, which also began flowing into the apartment,” Carter said. “As time went on, the flooring became saturated with water beneath the surface.

When I rolled my wheelchair across the floor, it would become wet underneath and humps began to form. I reported this to the property manager and informed them that the floor was becoming unsafe. They promised to send someone to repair it, but no one ever came.”

Pritchett said that she moved in with her brother a year ago to assist him due to his disability but shortly afterwards began experiencing health complications.

Pritchett said her asthma started flaring up more often in addition to persistent skin conditions appearing that she never experienced previously.

Carter said mold piled up in the residence and made his bedroom “uninhabitable” yet the landlord never addressed the problem.

The moist environment also drew pests to the home and led to Carter being bitten, according to his statement.

“Eventually, I was bitten twice by spiders living under the couch I was forced to sleep on,” Carter said. “One bite was so severe that I required emergency surgery, as it killed part of my bowel, which had to be removed. Another spider bite caused a large abscess on my bladder. My doctor stated that had I arrived at the hospital any later, I might not have survived.”

Aside from Carter and his sister several other family members and friends provided statements attesting to the conditions at the residence.

Carter asserts that negligence from the Oak Knoll Apartments landlord and property management resulted in him being, “severely harmed my physical health, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life.”