On Thursday, August 15, I entered Craig Hanson%u2019s apartment for the purpose of retrieving Mr. Hanson%u2019s cell phone recharging equipment and to put his newspapers in the apartment. After entering said apartment, I found a trail of blood leading to the bathroom, whereupon I saw a copious amount of blood along with maggot activity forming, together with a putrid smell. Said blood was from an intestinal discharge, which had occurred on Monday, August 5. Mr. Hanson was currently in Sutter-Davis Hospital recovering from stomach surgery to repair a fist-sized ulcer.
I contacted the apartment management and requested that she contact Serv-Pro on Mr. Hanson%u2019s behalf, to give me an estimate on clean up costs.
I met with Karen Juilfs and her trainee assistant, of Serv-Pro, at 1400 on Thursday, August 15, at Craig%u2019s apartment. Due to the nature of the estimate request, Serv-Pro barred me from entering the apartment while they conducted the estimate. They took pictures of the blood splatters.
Ms. Juilfs did not provide a written estimate of charges, nor did she provide a detailed explanation of the cost estimate, as I had requested. All she stated was that the clean up of the bathroom alone would be $450. Additional charges would be to bacterially clean the carpet; remove the bathroom linoleum; clean the underlining cement floor; and replace new linoleum. Additionally, she stated, that because this was a blood-pathogen problem, the State of California requires that %u201Cbecause I have seen this blood problem with maggots present, firsthand, I am required, by law, to bacterially spray the affected areas to stop the maggot growth. This carries a charge of $25.00. Are you prepared to pay this %u2018required%u2019 charge now? %u201D I restated that I had only brought Serv-Pro here to give me an estimate, so I could take that to the renter and that it was not in my power to authorize either the so-called %u201CState of California requirement%u201D to spray the apartment or to pay for it with either Mr. Hanson%u2019s funds or with my own funds. Ms. Julifs stated that she would %u201Ceat the costs if the client decided not to use the service of Serv-Pro.%u201D However, she further stated, %u201Cbecause we are required to spray the apartment, you will not be allowed to return to the apartment until it is cleaned. We will put a notice on the apartment door, so that everyone must stay out, and will notify the management of this action.%u201D
Later, I had the occasion to speak with a paralegal friend, who in turn asked her attorney employer about this so-called %u201CState of California requirement%u201D and was told that the attorney knew of no such law and thought that the Serv-Pro people were trying to receive money for the %u201Cfree-estimate%u201D by stating that the spraying of the maggot-infested carpet was mandatory.
To me, it appears that Serv-Pro was attempting to intimidate me into using their services and not getting further estimates, by stating that nobody can go into the apartment now that it has been bacterially sprayed.
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