For good reason, federal health officials recently reminded owners of older homes to ensure that their children are kept away from home improvement projects involving paint scraping or sanding. A recent New York state study of children living in homes where there had been recent removals of lead containing paint revealed that nearly ten percent had dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Ingestion and inhalation pose an ongoing threat to children in houses with lead containing paint. Parents need not just be concerned during renovation projects, either. Small children haven been known to eat paint chips and to even bite contaminated window sills.
Authorities maintain, and data suggests, that lead can cause brain damage.
Prudence therefore suggests that all home purchasers determine whether the home they are buying contains lead. It is very common practice for homes to be sold with contingencies. But there are few rules in real estate, only customs. Parties are free to adjust their contracts as they deem fit. In the last ten years there has been a tremendous amount of litigation nationwide over injuries allegedly attributed to lead contamination.