When my husband told me we were moving to South Africa in two short months I panicked. But that was nothing to how I reacted when he told me he was leaving in three days and that I would have to arrange the move! The company he works for was transferring him to head up its division there.

Where would I start? Would I move everything? Only some things? What about our dog? Due to health concerns, I couldn’t be running around all over the place to get information, visit international moving companies and such.

So, I did the next best thing – I Googled ‘international moving company’ on the Internet and found a whole list of international moving companies that came up after I put in my home state and destination of South Africa. My husband had said even though the company was paying for the move, compare prices but pick the best one. Each international moving company gave me a quote. Then I checked their licenses and reputation on the Better Business Bureau and Epinions and chose the best one. Its moving quote hadn’t been the cheapest but we felt it was more important that our stuff arrive there – preferably in one piece.

No way was I going to pack the house up. We’d lived in it for twenty years - the task was much too daunting. But I was looking forward to a good ‘spring cleaning’! And so I had three garage sales every other Saturday over the next six weeks. I was feeling pretty good about our new, much more organized life, trimmed of its fat and fluff, and I realized, we really didn’t need such a big house any more.

The international moving company I chose knew all the ‘ins and outs’ of moving to South Africa, the papers needed, the visas, etc. so it really was like one-stop-shopping for all your moving needs. They were even a Licensed carrier of brand name 220V electrical appliances. So I opted to get rid of my aged fridge, stove, washer and dryer. Instead of spending the money to move them, we’d buy from the international moving company in South Africa at a good price and end up with brand new appliances, guaranteed to be compatible with the electrical set up in our new country.

And now for the most pressing concern of all. My dearest best friend, Pluto. He’s a chocolate lab we’d had from the time the kids had been small. So I Googled moving from USA to South Africa and clicked on the link: ‘Welcome to Air Animal Pet Moving Services’ and am I glad I did. I found that Pluto needed a Microchip ID, Rabies immunization 30 days-1year prior, 5 blood tests 30 days prior, a 4 page document endorsed by a veterinarian, and an export endorsement by the USDA.

Thanks to the Internet and key words ‘international moving company’, the whole move had been organized at my fingertips!

International Moving

Most pieces of clothing that become molded can be cleansed and the mold gotten rid of, but it usually ends up leaving some kind of stain behind.  If you are having to clean mold off of white fabric, then you can probably try to use bleach to remove the stain with.  Unfortunately, killing the mold with bleach usually does not work very well.  Borax laundry detergent should kill the mold effectively after you have removed the majority of the growth with a brush of some kind.  An old toothbrush can be used to do this with.  Put a pre-wash stain remover on the fabric and let it soak around 45 minutes before you put it in the washer.  Wash these items at least twice, but refrain from using an artificial heat source to dry them out.  Instead, take them outside and air them out there.  Putting the clothes in the dryer can set the stain further into the fabric and you will have a harder time making sure that it comes out completely. 

Unfortunately, if you have an item that is made of real leather and it was covered with mold, it can probably not be saved.  These things get discolored pretty easily and mold tends to do a number on this kind of organic material, because mold’s job in nature is to decompose it.

Upholstery and curtains that come into contact with mold colonies can be cleaned with the same method used on clothing.  You can use a vacuum with a HEPA filter on it to collect all the mold off of your furniture and curtains and this will give you the peace of mind that the mold spores are not being put back into your air after they are collected by the vacuum.  Be careful when you are emptying the container in the vacuum, however, and try your best not to stir up the spores.  It is best to do this outside.

Water Restoration

Mold testing kits include either a stick or a Petri dish that has something for the mold to attach to and grow in.  The mold must grow on this item so the lab can determine what kind of mold you are dealing with.

The benefits of home mold testing kits are fairly decent.  They are inexpensive for the most part and it does not typically take long for the results to come back from the lab.  

Mold tests can be used in order to sample the mold in your home that you can see visually growing on the walls or on the floor and you can find out whether this mold is dangerous to your health or not.  All molds are bad for the internal structure of your home, but not all of it will be harmful to your health.  Either way it is a good idea to have it removed.

You can also use these tests to sample the air in your home.  The air you are breathing may or may not be healthy due to a hidden mold problem.  Testing the air being put out by your air conditioner is a good way to find out if there is mold where you live if you cannot find a visible infection. 

These Petri dishes can also be placed around your home and if there are mold spores in the air, they will settle onto the dishes and begin to grow. 

Unfortunately, you have to follow the instructions included with the tests or they will not be of any use to you.  They simply will not return accurate results. 

Something else that is unfortunate is the fact that the tests will not just pick up one kind of mold in your home; if there is more than one kind of mold growing in your home, it will pick them all up and molds do not tend to grow at the same speeds.  Aspergillus molds, for example, tend to grow faster than Stachybotrys chartarum. 

Document Restoration From Water 

The first thing you should do after the water has been cleared from your home, call your insurance agent or company as soon as you can. If you can, have your name, policy number, and a phone number or e-mail address that you can be reached at handy when you call. This will speed up the process more than you think.

When you’re filing your claim, request a time frame for when your adjuster will be sent to your home. Try to be patient, especially if you live in an area that has withstood extensive damage due to a river flowing over its banks or a dam that has burst. The water damage to your home depends upon just how high the water rose in and around it.

Once the adjuster has become available and is able to reach you and your home, he or she will help you determine just how much they are willing and able to compensate you for the loss of your property and help determine just how extensive the water damage is.

If your contact information changes in any way, let your insurance adjuster know as soon as possible. If you’re in a shelter of some kind or staying with a relative or friend, give your adjuster the name of someone who has the ability to reach you. If you can’t get home, it’s best to make a list of as many items as you can think of that may need to be replaced or repaired in your home. Computers, television sets, clothing, expensive electronic equipment, books, and etcetera should be listed here. List anything of value that could have been water damaged or lost.

If you can return home, you should separate the damaged items from the undamaged items and take pictures of your property to give the adjuster a good idea of the kind of loss you have endured.

Even if this event has never happened to you or if you’re not expecting any water damage like this to your home any time soon (and who really is), one of the best things that you can do for your home is to take a video every year of your home and its contents. Put this video in a waterproof (and fireproof) safe in case the unthinkable ever happens.

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            To that end, it’s important to choose something that you know the person will enjoy. Just slapping an engraving on anything defeats the purpose of personalized gifts. Do you know a wine lover? You can get a bottle engraved with their name on it. Giving a gift basket? Fill it with goodies that you know they will enjoy. You can even think further outside the box: get your Chinese food-loving friends a set of engraved chopsticks. Or anyone can enjoy a nice picture frame with a message engraved on it.

            It’s important when personalizing gifts to spend time thinking about what that person would like and enjoy most. It’s a staple of gift giving, and it can guarantee that your gift will be received warmly.

Aspergillosis is the name of a variety of different diseases that are caused by Aspergillus molds. Those who have weak immune systems, such as infants and the elderly, and those who have compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV, AIDs, or other diseases that weaken the body are particularly at risk to develop one of many forms of Aspergillosis.

The symptoms of Aspergillosis can include cough, chest pain or trouble breathing, and fever. Typically only people with immune systems that are already weak or who already suffer from other kinds of lung diseases are in danger of developing the disease. Major forms of the disease that occur in human beings are allergic aspergillosis, which affects cystic fibrosis, asthma, and sinusitis patients, acute invasive aspergillosis, and disseminated invasive aspergillosis. The most common species of Aspergillus molds that cause diseases in humans and animals are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.

Something named after the Aspergillus genus is an aspergilloma, which is also called a mycetoma or a fungus ball. This is a collection of fungus which exists in a cavity in a person or animal’s body such as the lungs and Aspergillus is the culptrit of most of these infections. Most people who have aspergillomas don’t have any symptoms that are related to the fungus growing inside them and so people often live for decades without knowing about their infection. The most common symptom of having aspergillomas is the coughing up of blood or hemoptysis; this blood loss is usually not consequential, merely a sign that aspergillomas could exist in the body.

These diseases not only occur in humans, but also in plants and animals. Wasted grain with aspergillus mold colonies growing on it and feed lots in the area around Burley, Idaho is suspected to have caused the death of over 2,000 mallard ducks. Moldy grain was also the cause of death in about 500 mallards in 2005 in Iowa.

While some Aspergillus molds can be harmful to human beings, other molds from this genus are used commercially, particularly in Japan where beverages such as sake are fermented using Aspergillus oryzae. Aspergillus niger is also used as a major source of citric acid and it accounts for over 99% of the globe’s citric acid production and this is total to more than 4.5 million metric tons a year.

Article By Aspergillus Mold - Connecticut Wet Carpet Extraction

First every agreement should be in writing.  It should specify how much is being borrowed and when the money will be repaid.  All too often the lender and borrower are friends and it is somewhat uncomfortable to discuss the signing of a formal agreement.   If you friend seems surprised or annoyed by being asked to sign an agreement than do not lend him the money.  Ask yourself why would they resist signing an agreement if they intended to repay the money.

A formal agreement is the only way that everyone can be assured of no misunderstanding as to the terms of the agreement.  Another way to protect yourself is to loan the money in the form of a check so that there is additional written confirmation of the obligation.  Additional means include retaining some personal property as collateral or if the buyer owns a house, obtaining a mortgage on the house. The later methods are generally reserved for more significant loans.

What if the borrower fails to repay the loan?  You can institute suit in the appropriate  Court of Law for the amount due and owing.  If the amount is less than or equal to $3,000.00 suit can be filed in  the small claims court.  Amounts over $3,000.00 and no more than $15,000.00 should be filed in the special civil part.  Generally, suit must be filed in the county where the defendant/borrower resides.

Even if you are successful in court the is no guarantee that you will actually recover the money you loaned.  A successful litigant merely gets a judgment for the amount found to be due and owing.  It is than incumbent upon the lender to try and collect on the judgment.  Once a judgment is entered the lender may be entitled to post judgment interest.

In short lending money even to friends can be a risky proposition.  In my humble opinion you should not lend money that you are not prepared to never see again.  If you never see the money again chances are you will never see your friend again either.

The NJ Personal Attorney Advice and information contained in this article is intended for general informational purposes only.  The facts of every case can vary.  There is no substitute for a consultation with an attorney