Chemicals in Texas meth lab home cause family dog to have seizures
November 7, 2008
The following story is posted with permission from a woman who shared her meth lab home story with me this week. Her story shows just how dangerous the chemicals used in meth labs can be. By sharing her story on Meth Lab Homes, she hopes that others might learn from her family’s experience.
Comment: If meth testing was required by the state before the home was sold, this tragic story would never have occurred.
“My husband and I just bought a house in Texas and are devastated by what we just found out. We were told by neighbors that the guy who lived here before us was a drug dealer. We really had no idea what that meant Read more
Landlords may have meth lab rentals listed on website
November 7, 2008
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico has appointed a special board to figure out what to do with contaminated homes that are being rented and sold in his state.
Although, the actions proposed by Governor Richardson’s board will help to protect renters and future home buyers in New Mexico, nothing is being said about how current and future owners will pay for the cost of decontaminating their property. Innocent home owners may, once again, be handed the bill for the cleanup, despite the fact that they were not responsible for contaminating their property.
Police urge Pickens County, South Carolina city council to address meth lab home cleanup
October 22, 2008
Police in Pickens County, South Carolina have recommended that the City Council mandate the cleanup of meth lab homes. Currently, police do an initial cleanup after they make a meth lab bust, but no mandates are in place to insure that the home is free of toxins when someone else moves in. Assistant Sheriff Tim Morgan told Pickens County Council members that The “contaminants are very toxic and potentially deadly”. Lt. Chad Brooks also told council members that meth lab homes “can be very hazardous to those occupants Read more
Meth Lab Cleanup Video: Beware of shady contractors
September 20, 2008
Before you hire any contractor to clean up your meth lab home, make sure that they are licensed to do the work according to your state’s standards.
Colorado Health Department tells home owner to use bulldozer on his meth lab home
September 1, 2008
Tim Young’s realtor told him that the home he was thinking about buying from them had once been a meth lab. But, they also told him that it had been cleaned and it was perfectly safe to live in. But, shortly after Tim moved in to the home, his eyes began to get itchy. By the time three or four weeks had passed, his eyes were so itchy that he decided it was time to go see his doctor. His doctor told him the itching he was experiencing was probably due to the dry air in Colorado. But, when the health department came out to test the home, they discovered that dry air was the least of his problems. Read more
Flip that house: Meth lab foreclosures and cleanup costs
August 18, 2008
Buying a foreclosed home can be a lucrative purchase for real estate investors, who can successfully flip the house for thousands more than they paid for it. But, the growth of meth lab homes in the U.S. has made house flipping much less profitable than a decade ago. Combined with a slow economy, buying a foreclosure for house flippers, may in fact cost them money instead of putting money in their pockets. That is, if the Read more
Cuyahoga Falls Ohio residents discuss who should be responsible to clean up meth lab homes
July 6, 2008
Ohio lawmakers would like to make it perfectly clear who is responsible to pay for the cleanup of clandestine meth lab homes - the property owner. They would also like those same property owners to pay for any costs incurred by the police for their administrative costs. The law they would like to see pass would require a property owner to fully disclose the property’s history to future buyers or renters. Residents in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio recently met to express their concerns about the burden of the clean up costs and Read more
Meth cook ordered to pay for cleanup in Illinois
May 3, 2008
Thirty six year old, Ronald Seagraves, was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine; Possession of Products with the Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. In addition, he was ordered by the U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois to pay restitution to Read more
Reader comments about cleanup costs of her methlab home
November 20, 2007
If you think that I’m kidding when I tell you that cleaning up a meth lab home is expensive, here’s what one of our readers had to say, “I would suggest you ask the health dept. for a list of certified decontamination specialists in your state and then start calling them. I spent 2 days on the Read more
Meth Lab Homes in Iowa are a growing problem
September 29, 2007
“In 2003, federal, state and local authorities seized more than 1,100 Iowa labs, and the number of labs seized increases each year. These labs are discovered in houses, apartments, motel rooms, motor vehicles, and even an occasional combine. Since meth labs are an emerging problem, there is currently no official Read more