A little update to the household “Toxic Legacy” mess: There are over 5,000,000 gallons...I'll spell this out; five -million -gallons -of household toxic chemicals dumped every month from foreclosures in the US. 70% of that is household paint and paint products. Most are picked up by trash-out companies hired by Real Estate Agents who unknowingly hire companies that illegally dump the paint and chemicals wherever it can be done without being caught.IT IS ILLEGAL TO DUMP PAINT AND HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS IN OUR LANDFILLS.
So..where does it go? Into the landfill anyway, hidden in large debris or just dumped in vacant lotsand ....You'll love this one. OTHER VACANT FORECLOSED PROPERTIES. That’s the latest! That’s not all that’s going on. Have you noticed there seems to be a greater amount of illegally dumped garbage and debris alongside our roadways and alleys? It’s a lot cheaper to dump illegally then to actually take the ever increasing amount of debris left behind…to a legal landfill or recycling station. And you thought your trash out crew was just very competitively priced.
Look folks, there is going to be more than one legacy from this foreclosure mess we're all in. ( Yes it’s me too, I was after all a successful construction lender/broker until this mortgage crisis- I would like to return to this someday). The Toxic Legacy from this problem will haunt us all for a very long time, quite possibly forever. Do you want to have this on you watch? I surely hope not.
We have only one world to live in. You as professional Realtors have not only the ethical and fiduciary responsibility in this industry, you should also consider all the ramifications of your actions. Who are you hiring to perform services? Are they doing the right thing? Do you even care?
If you are in the business of REO listings; make sure your preservation, maintenance and rehab crews- ALL OF THEM- perform every single task to not only the rules and regulations that are handed down by the asset managers, but also to a high ethical and moral standard, not to mention legal standards, of the jurisdiction in which you live and work. It is your ethical duty to do what’s right when it comes to the issue of household toxics. It is also your duty to inform the asset management companies you work with, that all local state and federal laws must be strictly adhered to in regards to any property regardless of status. If you don’t know the laws you may be quite sorry about the consequences. If you don’t believe me, you might try contacting your local Land-fill or EPA officer for hazardous chemicals.
Comments(1)