Law Commons^™

Cleaning House: Environmental Hazards Can Undermine A Property's Use And Value, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

Numerous horror movies and books depict the woes that befall fictional homeowners who don't know or care that they are living too close to cemeteries or brooding woods or scenes of hauntings.

However, even the vivid imaginations of filmmakers and novelists can't conjure up some of the real-life horrors that environmental hazards can create for property owners. These hazards can destroy the value and salability of property, render it unusable for its intended purpose, and burden owners with clean-up costs, fines and lawsuits.

Fortunately, an alert eye and inexpensive tests can identify most common environmental dangers.