Toxic houses often fall through cracks

Toxic houses often fall through cracks
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_782914.html

"When buying real estate in Pennsylvania, the rules are simple.

"The seller has the duty to disclose and the buyer has the duty to inspect. Otherwise, the buyer buys at his own peril," said Jerry Little, a New Kensington attorney who specializes in real estate law.

Peril is something that a home buyer actually might face if the house in question contained a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory. Renters face that peril if a landlord is not forthcoming.

The peril lies in the health hazards posed by chemical contamination that occurs during the manufacture of the illicit, highly addictive drug.

"You have a situation where you are heating up solvents. You are using acids, and they are mixing a lot of this stuff together in the process," said Dave Ellis, agent in charge of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's clandestine lab program.

He said that process gives off toxic fumes.

"The carpets and furniture, anything (with) fabric is always going to absorb fumes," Ellis said."