SAN ANGELO, TX – Residents at The Retreat @ College Hills apartment complex claim they are suffering from health issues due to mold exposure and allege that management has failed to address ongoing water damage and hazardous conditions.
Some tenants are now seeking legal action, however, management has denied the claims, calling them false.
One resident by the name of Mary, 71, has lived in the complex for nearly three years and says she has battled water leaks and mold since January 2024. Despite repeatedly reporting the issue, she claims the complex failed to take meaningful action.
“When they finally removed part of my wall, they found mold and termites, but instead of fixing the problem, they told maintenance to cover it up,” she said.
She alleges that staff patched over the damage without properly treating the mold. The carpet in her unit was also partially replaced, leaving her with mismatched flooring. Herd and her sister, who lives with her, have both fallen ill and now wonder if mold exposure is the cause.
JD Smith, whose daughter recently moved into the complex, says she developed health issues shortly after settling in. Suspecting mold, his family conducted home tests, which detected Aspergillus and Penicillium mold—both of which can cause respiratory problems.
Smith claims that despite the findings, management has refused to let his daughter out of the lease and has instead offered quick fixes like replacing carpet or painting over problem areas.
“They keep kind of offering solutions that aren’t real solutions—just kind of like, you know, just paint over it, replace some carpet stuff, and don’t seem to really care about doing the right thing,” Smith said.
Smith is seeking legal counsel and plans to fund a professional mold test to get an official report. He has also offered to help Mary pay for her own testing, as she cannot afford it on her fixed income.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, says she and her seven children have suffered severe health issues since moving in.
She described an incident in which her baby stopped breathing and had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
“Her body went limp before we got her back to consciousness. Nobody knows what happened, not even the doctors,” she said.
Her 11-year-old daughter also experiences chest pains, shortness of breath, and headaches. A family member living in the apartment now wears a heart monitor due to heart palpitations and is on multiple asthma medications.
According to the resident, she repeatedly reported flooding and mold to management but claims they never sent professional cleaners or inspectors. Instead, she says, staff laughed off her concerns when she provided home test results showing the presence of mold.
“Something has to be done about this because they’re going to end up killing somebody here in these apartments,” she said.
When reached for comment, a representative of The Retreat @ College Hills denied the allegations.
“There’s not a mold issue, that is false,” they said. “So wherever you get your information, I would double-check it and actually follow up with great credibility.”
Smith is consulting with an attorney and exploring legal options.
“If the right people came in here to check, I think the whole place could be condemned,” Mary said.
While management denies wrongdoing, a source close to the situation has corroborated claims of poor maintenance practices.
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