Advise Needed
 

A relative of mine is planning to walk away from their home because the home has MAJOR environmental problems (total cleanup could approach $100K before the house could come close to passing an inspection) and my relative simply does not have the $$$ to pay for that and the mortgage as well.

I know the EPA is not a agency to play around with. What I want to know is should my relative walking away knowing the property has those environmental problems could the EPA assess fines and/or criminally prosecute the individual? Also, if this individual should die can any financial penalties assessed be passed to next of kin?

Is the environmental self inflicted?

I advise you to edit the thread title.

does your "relative" have tenants with these known issues?

This place has been slipping since I've removed my grammar police badge.

I'm guessing you probably mean well, but that is a very suspicious sentence.

Doesn't covering the entire property in antifreeze clean up most environmental issues? :shrug:

1/2 of it is (mold) the other half is due to an underground oil tank being improperly installed before the house was bought by the relative but it was just discovered in the last 6 months.

My relative has been living in the house almost 26 years.

But if you really want answers to these questions a lawyer is likely your best bet and not an internet forum.

The relative is under A LOT of stress but may be mistaking heart symptoms for digestive problems. I questioned my relative about that when I spoke to her about 90 minutes ago but she dismissed that notion.

1. Insure house.

2. Call my cousin Eddie.

3. Leave town.

4. Collect.

Was the LUST(Leaking Underground Storage Tank) disclosed by the seller/broker when the relative purchased the property?

Those documents have a specific area that asks about the existence of such things. I'm not a lawyer but there could be recourse on that front. The Mold...well, with no insurance that is going to be the relative's issue.

No, the LUST was discovered this past winter when the relative was having repair work done. The repairman said it was leaking and was not properly installed and I think he said it had the wrong casing (outer shell) around it which was why it was leaking into the soil.

Matches

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