Meth Labs and Lawsuits

We've all heard of lawsuits over mold infestation or lead contamination within residential properties, but apparently, if you're looking for a new home, you need to worry about more than just mold, old paint, and other maintenance issues.  You've also got to worry about meth.  According to this Law.com article, residents are suing landlords and the individuals from whom they purchased homes, alleging health problems stemming from the property's former use as a meth lab.  According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, meth production can use chemicals known to cause cancer, such as benzene, and living in a former meth lab can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, respiratory difficulties, and a whole host of other nasty health problems 

The problem is severe enough that 13 states now require owners of residences formerly used as meth labs to clean them up before they can sell the properties or use them as homes  again.  Not surprisingly, California is on top of this problem -- our legislature has already passed the Methamphetamine Contaminated Property Cleanup Act of 2005, Cal. Health & Safety Code secs. 25400.10 et seq.  This legislation sets forth clean-up standards for properties that have been contaminated by meth labs and requires local health officers and property owners to take certain actions whenever they receive notification of a meth lab on or adjacent to residential property.  For those of you interested in delving deeper (and who wouldn't be?), you can find the Act's legislative history here.