Client side issue

I have created a custom entity and I can get to all of the fields except one via the client side API. the field is status.

bldg_Status to be exact.

crm('bldg_Status').text() or .value() or .anything yields undefined response

if I use jquery $('#_Databldg_Status').text(); I can actually get the text.

I can use the jquery for now, but I'd like to know why the api doesn't seem to have access to this field.