In an eerie story, Troy and Maysoun Fletcher, had recently bought a Mission Viejo home despite knowing that the prior owner had killed himself in the backyard. However, the couple grew uneasy two weeks after they moved in on Dec. 30, 2003, when a neighbor who welcomed them with a plate of cookies told them that the suicide had happened in the garage.

When the Fletchers began to discover an increasing problem with mold in the house, they brought in a mold inspector to look through the house. When the inspector investigated the garage, he found what appeared to be human tissue near the water heater. The Fletchers believed that the decaying tissue left behind had spread toxic mold throughout the house. "It was beyond disgusting," said Maysoun Fletcher.

The Fletchers have since filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for cleaning up after the suicide. In addition, the couple is also suing the widowed prior owner, her real estate agent, and the company that conducted the pre-purchase home inspection.

The Fletchers believed that they were deceived during the real estate transaction when they were informed that the suicide occured outside. They claim, had they known the suicide occured indoors, they would have not purchased the property. The Fletchers have not determined the amount they are seeking for emotional distress and negligence. The couple also claim that their 20-month old daughter have suffered breathing difficulties since moving into the house.

The widow, Teresa Carpenter, and her real estate agent, Shawna Rogalla, denied the allegations, citing that the Fletchers have failed to provide evidence for their claim. Most property law experts beleive that providing any case involving mold is extremely difficult. Crime-scene cleanup experts disagree, saying that toxic mold is one of the main dangers of shoddy service.

Interestingly, Rogalla has sued Carpenter for lying about the location of her husband's death. "My client made no misrepresentations whatsoever regarding the sale of the property," said Michelle A. Hancock, lawyer for real estate agent Shawna Rogalla. "She should not be part of this lawsuit."

The suicide of Michael Carpenter happened on April 24, 2003, the 43rd birthday of Teresa Carpenter. In a recent deposition, Carpenter recollected that her husband had brought her a Diet Pepsi and given her good-night kiss before she went to bed. She awoke to the sound of a gunshot, and immediately began searching the house for her husband but could not find him. Police later recovered the body and Carpenter maintains that she never knew exactly where her husband had died. Carpenter put the house on the market six months later, and her sister hired a cleaning company to clean up the house.

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