If it is known that a house was used for drug production, then you may be able to sue the real estate agent who failed to disclose this information to you when you purchased the home. Drug manufacturing can be hazardous to your health. A highly addictive drug known as methamphetamine is commonly manufactured in homes throughout the nation. Sometimes, when homes are sold in a speedy manner, it is because they used to be used to manufacture this or another serious drug.
When manufacturers create drugs, they leave behind chemicals that saturate the walls, ceilings, floors, and carpets with meth and mercury, iodine, lead, and lithium. Exposure to these chemicals, even in small amounts, can lead to serious injuries. Individuals may suffer damage to their nervous systems, liver, and blood production. Small children suffer the most. Exposure can trigger birth defects and developmental problems in unborn children.
If you purchase a home that has been used for meth production, you may face tens of thousands of dollars of costs in clean-up and testing. For example, a family in Tennessee says that they weren't aware that their house was previously used to cook meth until they tried to sell the home. They discovered when selling that the previous owner had been arrested for cooking meth in the home.
They were required to test, decontaminate, and retest the house, a process which cost them $16,000. Had they known all of this prior to purchasing the house, they probably would have avoided the property. The experience of discovering that a house was used for drug manufacturing can be damaging both emotionally and financially. A home contaminated by meth production has few visible signs, but if the previous homeowner is arrested then the information has gone on record.
In addition to houses used for meth production, there are many homes that are used as "grow houses" for the drug marijuana. According to reports, marijuana grow houses can severely damage a home. One family that unknowingly purchased a marijuana grow house in 2008 says that they discovered mold in the home, gas leaks, and bad wiring which all stemmed from the home's past as a grow house.
This couple had to may more than $42,000 in remediation and repairs. In 2009 alone, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration discovered about 2,600 grow houses in the United States. Many of these houses were located in average every day neighborhoods, or some are located in homes you would never expect. If you purchase a home and the real estate agent knows that it used to be used as a grow house but fails to inform you of this information, then you have the right to sue. Contact a real estate attorney today if you need assistance in suing after discovering that you home was formerly used for drugs!