An upset Georgia woman has resorted to desperate measures to deal with a mold problem plaguing her rental property, a mold problem she claims her landlord is turning a blind eye to.
Erica Jackson, of Carrollton, has been living in her yard since March because of issues that have gone untreated for months.
'I can't breathe in my house,' Jackson told WSB-TV. 'Even with the windows up.'
Jackson has moved into a tent just outside her residence, which she acknowledged was 'a little tight.'
The tent was equipped with a television screen, an air conditioning unit, a makeshift kitchen and a bed.
Jackson said she considers her house to be unsafe and stressed that she was 'looking for someone that can help me.'
Her landlord, Wilson Family Properties, has insisted that Jackson's home is not suffering from a mold issue and accused her of owing four months of back rent.
Jackson denied this, claiming that she held back just one month because of how the landlord had failed to address the mold.
Erica Jackson, of Carrollton, said she has been living in a tent outside her rental home for months over long-running, unsolved mold issues
Jackson's tent is equipped with an air conditioning unit, a makeshift kitchen, a bed and a television
Wilson Family Properties hired a third party to inspect Jackson's home after she complained for weeks. Elevated levels of outdoor mold were found inside the home
Jackson said she started to see mold on her belongings shortly after moving into the Carrollton duplex.
Carrollton is about 50 miles west of Atlanta, near Georgia's border with Alabama.
Wilson Family Properties hired a third party to inspect the home after Jackson complained for weeks.
That report found that elevated levels of outdoor mold existed inside the home but did not suggest additional remediation.
Jackson proceeded to hire her own specialist, who confirmed that there were high levels of outdoor mold in her home.
The specialist hired by Jackson also noted that there was a possible moisture issue with the home's roof.
However, Wilson Family Properties said that two companies it had hired to inspect Jackson's home had not found any mold issues.
'I see no reason to suspect a mold issue in the home at this time,' one report said, per WSB-TV.
Jackson hired her own specialist to take a look at her Carrollton rental and confirmed the outdoor mold
Jackson said she has been living in the tent since March and denied accusations that she owed four months of back rent
The landlord claimed that Jackson was disgruntled because she owed four months of back rent.
Court records viewed by WSB-TV showed that Wilson Family Properties had filed a magistrate court case seeking roughly $1,200.
Jackson denied the accusations and insisted she had only not paid for one month.
'I'm in a binding contract, and the same way I'm supposed to hold up my end of the bargain, they're supposed to hold up theirs,' she said.
A judge is scheduled to hear the case this Friday, when Jackson will also present findings from her own inspection.
Jackson addressed her current situation on a public social media profile yesterday evening.
'This is my current life!!' she wrote.
Jackson described herself as a 'loyal mother and friend' in her profile, which added that she had previously worked as an executive director and as a public relations coordinator.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Jackson and Wilson Family Properties for further comment.