Who's METHing with Your Home?

Should home buyers be told if the home they are buying was previously a METH Lab?

According to the State of Utah, a nondisclosure state, sellers and their agents do not have to disclose to buyers that a home was previously contaminated with METH if the home has been declared "clean" by a local Board of Health.

The concern started to surface in February 2003 with a KSL report from Stacey Butler. Stacey labeled past METH labs "Home Sick Homes" because people seemed to get sick long after the METH labs were gone. Looking back at the report just 7 years ago it is haunting to see it titled "Former METH Houses Could Pose Serious Health Risks". Then State Senate President Al Mansell was successful in getting the State required "Seller Property Condition Disclosure" to include disclosure of Methamphetamine Contamination. But, he didn't go far enough. In question 20(c) the form asks the seller if "To your knowledge is the property currently contaminated from the storing or manufacturing of Methamphetamine"? If the home had received a clean bill of health  from a decontamination contractor and the Board of Health it would not require disclosure to a buyer. It's interesting that question 20(a) asks about any hazardous conditions such as lead-based paint, methane gas, radon, etc. but in a context of "past or present" conditions. Why would they have approved the reference to "past" conditions on radon, methane, and lead-based paint and not on METH Labs?

In February 2007 things started to "cook". KSL's Debbie Dujanovic reported on the health risks of officers involved in METH lab raids. Many including myself were shocked by the danger and health risks associated with Methamphetamine contaminated environments. Then last month Debbie Dujanovic delivered her investigative report "Former METH Houses Declared Safe May Not Be. The message was that not only are the METH cops suffering from exposure but innocent home buyers who didn't even know the home had been contaminated.

I think Debbie has done a great job of giving the problem the media attention it needed. But Debbie has been a tool that several political advocates from local community councils have used to bring the problem to the public and push for some legislative change. An example is Jim Fischer from the Liberty Wells Community Council. He has drafted a proposed Salt Lake City Ordinance and gained the support of Salt Lake City Council Rep Jill Remington Love in backing the proposed ordinance.

Over the next few months we will see discussion among the Salt Lake City Council members and possibly some changes. I will be actively involved in the process and am interested in your opinions and views on what the changes should be. Speak up! Share your thoughts on the following or any other ideas:

Click-thru to our local Blog at SaltLakeSpeaks to see what questions we thought the council should be asking.

Feed me your comments so we can make sure the Salt Lake City council hears from SaltLakeSpeaks!