New Texas Law Requires Disclosure Of Meth Lab History In Sale Of Home; May Be Too Late For A Few Dallas-Area Homeowners; Foreclosures Exempted

In North Dallas, Texas, CBS 11 News reports:

• Imagine buying your dream home, only to learn that the walls are coated in toxic residue. A new Texas law aims to prevent home buyers from making a potentially dangerous mistake. But CBS 11 News learned that there's a loophole that could leave families in the dark. [...] A North Dallas homeowner, who does not want to be identified, learned of her house's hidden history through photographs. She never imagined it once concealed a meth lab. "Do you worry at all about what the health effects could be?" CBS 11 News asked. "Well, I've had two miscarriages in the last two years, so yeah," she answered.

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• [C]BS 11 learned that the buyer only gets that information when the seller is a person, not a bank. That's because the disclosure form does not apply to foreclosure sales, according to Texas Property Code. If you buy a house from the bank, they don't have to tell you anything about the house's history. [...] The exemption means the law would not have helped Laura Budge, a Fort Worth mother of seven. Neighbors divulged the drug habit of a former owner, but Budge had no idea her family could be in danger. [...] Now the Budge family and others live with that fear and few options."It's not like we can just turn around and leave," Budge said.

For more, see Was Your New Home Used As A Meth Lab? (New Law Requires Sellers To Disclose Whether Home Was Used As Meth Lab; Some Experts Question Law's Effectiveness) (read story) (watch video).

Go here for some methamphetamine information resources.

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