It was supposed to be a trouble-free place a retiree to live. But an 81-year-old woman hasn't been able to go home for over two months because her Metrotown condo is contaminated by mould.

A dispute with her strata council has left her in limbo.

Mary Okabe and her daughter-in-law Carol have to put on masks before they go into Mary's Burnaby condo

The elderly woman hasn't been able to live there since early April, when she suddenly became ill

"I thought I had a stroke because I couldn't move. I was in a wheelchair,'' she said.

She is in this situation because a construction contractor, working for the property manager, tore down a wall in her suite, and opened up a Pandora 's Box of rusty construction girders and mould.

The suite is part of a leaky condo and the Okabes say a report they commissioned says there's more mould under other walls

They want the strata to pay for a new contractor to complete the repairs, at a cost of $15,000.

"The strata council turned us down, saying they don't have the budget,'' said Carol. "We're left with her having nowhere to go.''

Leaky condo expert

A CTV News reporter contacted the president of the strata council, who refused to talk about the issue. He referred CTV News to the property manager, who refused to go on camera. but did say he doesn't believe the Okabe's report. And he's refusing to pay to open up the walls.

Until the dispute is settled, no work will be done, and Mary can't move back in.

A leaky condo expert says the strata is taking a huge risk by not fixing the unit completely

John Grasty of the |Consumer Advocacy and Support for Homeowners Society says the mould could spread through the ventilation ducts to the entire building

"I think the better question is how much is it going to cost to fix it properly so that people can move on with their lives,'' Grasty said.

It's a view that Mary supports.

"I think they should do a proper job even if it costs a little more money,'' she said.

The dispute over who will pay for the cleanup has dragged on for two months and shows no sign of stopping, and Mary still can't go home.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Jon Woodward