When I bought my house, environmental inspections were not advised.

As a first-time home buyer, we bought a single-family home. During that period, inflation was high, interest rates high and home prices were high. There were not many homes on the market so there were bidding wars, pay by cash (not paying by cash), and at that time, environmental inspections didn’t matter. What mattered was purchasing your first dream home fast, before it was gone, and being near friends and family, and that home was hard to come by.

Environmental inspections during real estate transactions were not advised at the beginning of the 2000s. Our inspections included a home inspection, carbon monoxide, well water and that’s it. We negotiated a few items and boom, after a little trouble with hurricanes and insurance at closing, we were homeowners. Luckily for us, we had friends on both the mortgage and title side who helped the transaction pull through. But our friends weren’t environmental experts, and we barely had any environmental inspections performed.

Regarding environmental inspections,   I wish I knew what I know now. Working at Curren Environmental is an eye-opener regarding performing environmental inspections. Some of the environmental inspections that every buyer should do are the following:

• Underground oil tank sweep using ground-penetrating radar.
• Radon Inspection.
• Lead Inspection.
• Air quality test.
• Mold inspection.
• Roof inspection.
• Septic – if I had a septic tank.
• Termite Inspection.
• Sewer line scope
• Well water testing.
• Asbestos

While you may think that all those environmental inspections are a little over the top when buying your home, it's not. All of those environmental inspections addressed above may cost you more money, but that money that you are putting out for inspections will save you in the long run.

Underground oil tanks can cost thousands and thousands of money, time, and anguish. If the property you are buying was built before the 1980s, get a tank scan. While the owners may not know there is a tank, they may have bought a home when tank scans were not being performed and may honestly not know if there is an underground oil tank on the property.  

Radon inspections are of the utmost importance. You should be able to search your state for a map of where radon is located, if you are in a high radon zone you should have a radon test run and a mitigation system installed. Radon is unseen and deadly.

Lead inspections are for houses built before 1978. If you have small children, lead inspections should be performed. Lead paint tastes sweet to children and lead is a metal, it never leaves your body.

Mold inspections, mold testing, and air quality tests are considered environmental inspections. Mold inspections look for signs of visual mold growth and water entry. Testing for mold can be done through surface sampling when you think that spot may be mold. Air testing for mold and air quality testing should be done when there was a leak or moisture intrusion and you can not see any visual mold growth and a smell that seems musty, for example, intrusion from an exterior water source such as through the walls. Leaks can occur from above as well, through roofing or through leaking pipes and condensation. A must for air testing is in finished basements, no one has x-ray vision and you don’t know what lurks behind that sheetrock wall.

Roof inspections will determine how old the roof is if there are problems with the roof, and when the roof should be replaced. If you have a septic system, have it inspected.  Find out if it is the original septic system with the property or if it is the 2^nd system. Scoping your sewer line is a must for an environmental inspection. Coming from someone who just had their lines replaced, it is no fun, and no offense to the contractors who do the job, your yard is going to be a mess after.

Well water tests for certain chemicals and contaminants in your drinking water. Also, look for whole-house water filters and tankless water heaters. Water heaters don’t last forever, and a tankless water heater saves on bills, it only heats the water when needed.

Asbestos is found in older homes because asbestos, in the past, was the wonder fiber of the future. Not all asbestos needs to be removed, if it is contained, it shouldn’t be a problem. When asbestos is airborne, it is a problem. Testing the home will help in making decisions later if you decide to renovate the home.

Environmental inspections are key to any real estate transaction. You may not be advised or may not be aware. Do your due diligence and get the environmental inspections done prior to purchase. Once you buy your home, you buy every problem in and around it. We have come across a few environmental problems in our home, and if we had done the environmental inspections, we would have been aware and had those issues fixed prior to purchase.

Have a home older than 80 years?  You may have a cistern.

What is a Cistern?  A cistern is a buried tank, commonly made of brick or metal, and is designed to store water. Cisterns are typically designed for capturing and storing rainwater.  Cisterns are not cesspools that are for septic.

Today some people use rain barrels, so you can think of a cistern as a buried rain barrel.

The water collected in cisterns historically was utilized for two purposes: domestic use and consumption.

Domestic uses of the water are flushing toilets and watering landscaping.  Since water stored is from rainwater the owner of a cistern could reduce the costs associated with the delivery of potable water from utilities.  It could also supplement water from wells on a site that people would use for human consumption.  

Questions? 888-301-1050

You may find you have a cistern by constant settlement in your yard like the photo below or by doing a GPR survey to scan for voids.  GPR Survey many residential due diligence oil tank sweeps find cisterns when GPR is used.    

This cistern was found from the settlement in the photo to the right.   The cistern lost some integrity allowing collapse in a section of the walls, which allowed soils to seep into the cistern void.  This home was circa 1925.    The owner wanted the liability removed so the cistern was filled in place as it had not been used in years.  There are several feet of water at the bottom of this cistern and a person or animal falling into this would hurt.

Curren has over 25 years of experience in decommissioning and abandoning buried tanks.  We recently completed a tank sweep for a home sale.  The GPR survey located a buried metal tank behind the garage which was either an old gas tank, oil tank, or cistern.  Turns out it was a cistern.

Ground Penetrating Radar Surveys for Cisterns

Questions? 888-301-1050

If you are buying a property for commercial use, you need a Phase I ESA to protect your financial interests in the property. Unfortunately, not every building was for sale when you were looking, so your search took months not weeks to find the right property.  To hasten the purchase, you are paying cash and avoid any bank delays,  but intend to get a mortgage after purchase.  The seller wants to settle fast, as they have owned the property for 26 years and are ready to move on.  Your attorney wants to protect your interests with Phase I.   You want to know when should the settlement date be.  So let's do a quick rundown of the timeline for Phase I.

Most Phase I's can be properly completed in 2 to 3 weeks. Some Phase I's can take 4 to 6 weeks.

Some Phase I's take even longer.

Why is the time spread different with each Phase (I,II, III)?

1. We start working on Phase I within 24 hours after a client engages Curren.  (Engage meaning signed contract, & payment).  This is the industry standard.
2. Part of starting the Phase I is acquiring historical records on the property.  Some of these records are purchased by companies that sell such records, it can take a few days to acquire these records.
3. Another aspect of a Phase I is requesting public records from local, county, and state agencies, these records are public records and can take five (5) to nine (9) business days to obtain from the government agencies.  You are dealing with the government, so it takes time.
4. There is also an owner interview and questionnaire as part of the process.  If the owner is unavailable, like in Cuba for two (2) weeks, well that delays this aspect.  Sure, we can interview a less knowledgeable party like the employee who worked at the property for 2 years, but wouldn't you rather have us interview the person who has 25 years of experience with the property?
5. On week two after contracting for the Phase I, you do your site visit, because by now you have obtained and reviewed historical records so you know about the property but need to walk the site to evaluate operations, chemical storage in short things that could affect the property on an environmental basis.  The historical research is looking at potential past environmental impacts to the property.
6. End of the second week or week three (3), the Phase I is complete, it gets peer-reviewed, digitized, and submitted.  You can also ride a unicorn to the settlement table.

Call Curren Today

What delays the Phase I?

Government records, perhaps you find there are 5,000 pages of documents at the state environmental agency, and it will take four (4) weeks to get those files out of storage and no the owner doesn't have any of these records. 

The owner delays our site inspection and doesn't want to get interviewed, which happens all the time.  Most people who bought a property skipped the Phase I and are not too keen on you doing an environmental assessment on the property.

The Phase I finds an Area of Concern (AOC) or a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) that is not properly documented.  Oh, and we hear owners say how EPA was on site and checked everything.   Well, if the EPA is federal and if they came on site to evaluate anything, go buy another property because the issues are so bad on this site you need a Federal agency involved whereas the state agency would manage environmental issues on almost all sites.  Been doing environmental consulting since the 1990's I can count on 1 hand how many EPA-involved sites I have dealt with.   So these open issues require further evaluation, perhaps even testing, add a month or more.

Lastly, the Phase I finds a suspect issue that warrants a Phase II (testing).  It happens, it happens a lot, now someone has to spend more money to look for a problem and even more money if a problem requires remediation.     For example, a client is buying a building next to their own office building.  Phase I finds an old UST owner that said it was EPA approved (it was not).   The tank has to be removed and tested and oh it leaked and the tank hasn't been used in 15 years, yes owner forgot to mention it in the interview.  The realtor knew but also said it was all closed out and said this with a straight face and zero documents to support this claim.  Phase I finds a gasoline plume that appears to extend onto the property.  Legal, but the buyer wants to build another office building and this contamination can warrant a vapor barrier as part of the construction.  This adds cost and devalues the property for buyers who may want a concession in a price reduction.

Many companies will not tell you the downside of environmental work, but at Curren we believe in managing client expectations.  Sure, we do many Phase I reports in 2 weeks flat but many are not and by the time you call us you likely already have a due diligence end date AND settlement date,  Both of which were made before any environmental due diligence was performed. 

Call Curren Today

Lead paint was ubiquitous because it was durable, resisted moisture, and dried fast, two highly prized attributes for paint.  The problem is lead paint was demined that human consumption of lead, via dust or paint chips, generated by deteriorating lead paint was a serious health hazard and in 1978 the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lead in paint for residential use.  For the record most similar developed nations banned lead paint decades before the United States did.

Unless you complete a lead paint inspection, which is a surface-by-surface inspection of building material for lead paint, you assume that lead paint is present.    More about lead paint inspections can be found at  Lead Paint Inspection.

So you test to know 100% if and where lead paint is present or you assume paint or stain is lead-based.   

You can also have a limited lead paint inspection done when you are having renovation performed.  Limited area-specific lead paint inspections cost less because they take less time to complete. Questions?

Questions? 888-301-1050

Why should you care about lead paint?

1. Kids consume lead paint as it has a sweet flavor, and lead paint has long-term effects on children.  Lead doesn't leave your body.
2. When you renovate the lead paint dust that was generated from deteriorating lead paint, well it's lead-contaminated dust, and yes you are inhaling it, which means your children are inhaling lead. 
3. Hazard control is all about controlling your exposure pathway.  You don't want any chemicals where kids can come in contact with them, because you know chemicals are hazardous.   If you know where lead paint is in your home you are better prepared to manage it.
4. At Curren we recognize the risk of lead and care, so we discount the cost of lead paint inspections for residential sites to encourage people to perform the inspection. 

The contractor working on the lead paint must also be certified.

Any renovation, repair, or painting (RRP) project in a pre-1978 home or building can easily create dangerous lead dust. EPA requires that RRP (Renovation, Repair, Painting) projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools built before 1978 be performed by lead-safe certified contractors. Generally, EPA’s Lead RRP rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own homes. However, it does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a child care center in your home or if you buy, renovate, and sell homes for profit (i.e., a house flipper).

Learn About Lead Paint Inspection - 

Lead Paint FAQ

Lead Paint Inspections

The New Jersey Lead Safe law is making lead a concern for rental units, both tenants and landlords.    NJ’s New lead-based paint law went into effect on July 22, 2022, and affects ALL pre-1978 rental properties.   So if you are a landlord of a unit built before 1978 and you have not received a lead paint designation, you are subject to the law.  The law is also being called the Lead Based Paint Hazard Law.

How Can Curren Environmental help with compliance with lead inspections?

We understand common causes of paint deterioration and we will help you identify areas with problems (BEFORE WE INSPECT), it is essential to understand the cause of the damage to repair the paint. Our inspectors will talk you though what areas are common failures, which you can look for and address prior to inspection.     When Curren does inspect and if we find deteriorated paint, we will look for the cause of the deteriorated paint, so when you repair the issue it will not return.  Common causes of paint failure include:

Moisture damage
Friction and impact
Poor surface preparation

Deterioration of the building material

All single-family, two-family, and multiple-rental dwellings must be inspected.

This new lead law is being referred to as, New Jersey’s Lead Safe Certification and requires lead-paint inspections, visual &/or dust wipes on all nonexempt rental properties at tenant turnover or before July 22, 2024.  This means 1st inspection must be completed by July 22, 2024.   The inspections are perpetual. A lead-safe certificate is good for two (2) years but can last as long as three (3) years before a reinspection is needed if the tenant remains in the unit from the 1^st 2 years of issuance of the lead-safe certificate.

 What does the Lead Safe Certification lead law require of a property owner?

 If you rent a pre-1978 property that does not qualify for one of the exemptions, beginning July 2022, you will be required at a minimum to have a visual lead-paint inspection.  When we say the minimum, some towns have children with elevated lead blood levels, so units in these municipalities also require that lead dust wipe samples be obtained as part of the inspection.

Visual Inspection:  Just as at sounds like, visual lead inspections look for hazards.  How does one identify lead-based paint hazards?  Lead-based paint hazards is deteriorating lead-based paint peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, or damaged paint. Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is scraped, sanded, or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can reside on surfaces and objects that people touch.

We examine all painted building components for deteriorated paint or visible surface dust, debris, or residue. We look for paint chips or dust from painting activities that were not cleaned up and paint residue on floors.

Where does the NJ lead safe certification require inspection be performed in a rental unit?

The initial lead inspection including subsequent periodic lead-based paint inspection applies to interior spaces within dwellings. This is interpreted to include any common areas that tenants of a rental dwelling have access to, including hallways and basements, in two-family and multiple dwelling rentals.   In short you are inspecting interior areas, exterior areas such as porches  are not part of the inspection. 

Who can perform lead inspections for rental units?

The lead inspection can only be done by  

1) Municipal local agency inspection program,  

2) NJ DCA-certified Lead Evaluation contractor hired by the municipality

Or

3) the property owner can hire directly a NJ DCA Certified Lead Evaluation contractor to provide the required inspection services. 

No matter who the lead licensed individual is, there is a fee for the lead inspection. The lead inspection fee is outside of the $20 fee the lead law requires the municipality to collect on a per-unit basis.

Visual Lead Inspections

Landlords can hope for the best outcome from the lead inspection, which is that no lead-based paint hazards are found during the inspection, and the local agency or the DCA-certified lead evaluation contractor can certify the dwelling unit as lead-safe on a form prescribed by the department of Community Affairs.

A failure of the lead inspection would be that lead hazards are found, then the property owner must address the hazard.   Properly addressed by means of either lead-based paint abatement or lead-based paint hazard control methods.   Additionally, if the lead evaluation entity (municipal or private) finds that a lead-based paint hazard exists in a dwelling unit upon conducting the inspection under this law, the lead evaluation contractor or permanent local agency shall notify the Commissioner of Community Affairs.

The photo below is a friction surface. Old door, multiple coats of paint and freshly painted.  When you open and close the door the door rubs, the newer white paint has rubbed off and an older layer of paint (green) is visible.  This would fail an inspection.

Lead hazards that are addressed require a lead re-inspection. Specifically, the lead law states that “upon completion of correcting any lead-based paint hazard identified during the visual Lead Safe Certification Inspection”, the Lead evaluation contractor or permanent local agency shall conduct a follow-up inspection (visual &/or dust wipes) of the unit to certify that the hazard no longer exists.  

The lead law places documentation and notification requirements on property owners. Owners are required to provide copies of all Lead Safe Certifications (per unit) and leases to the DCA inspector during their five (5) year multiple dwelling inspection.  Property owners are also required to provide copies of a current or newly issued Lead Safe Certificate to new residents specific to the unit they will be renting as part of the lease documents.

If a resident resides within the unit during the re-lead safe certification renewal cycle for three (3) years, the resident must sign a copy of the Lead Safe Certification.   This documentation must be maintained by the owner and made available during future DCA inspections.   Compliance is mandatory under the law failure to follow failure to comply can incur fines of up to $1000 per unit per week.

What to do to get ready for compliance?  Call Curren Environmental, we have been consulting on environmental issues in real estate since the 1990s.

888-301-1050

Do you think your property is exempt from lead inspections? The property must meet the following criteria: 

1. The property has been certified to be free of lead-based paint,
2. The property was originally constructed during or after 1978,
3. The rental unit is in a multiple dwelling that has been registered with the DCA as a multiple dwelling for at least 10 years either under the current or a previous owner and has no outstanding lead violations from the most recent cyclical inspection performed on the multiple dwelling under the “Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law,”
4. Is a single-family or two-family seasonal rental dwelling that is rented for less than 6 months duration each year by tenants that do not have consecutive lease renewals; VRBO rentals fit this definition as long as the lease is shorter than 6 months per rental.
5. Dwellings that have been certified to be free of lead-based paint under N.J.A.C. 5:17-3.6(b).
6. The unit is owner-occupied.

Pro Tip

If you have not tested for lead-based paint and the property is pre-1978 original construction, the law states you must assume it is lead-based paint.

What is Environmental Due Diligence?

Environmental due diligence is the process that evaluates the environmental conditions and risks associated with a property. The process can be at the request of land developers, lenders, attorneys, or private owners who intend to purchase, refinance, or occupy a property.

The rub with performing environmental due diligence in real estate is buyers spend countless hours researching properties to purchase and when the right one is found, no one wants a delay or a cause a problem.

Environmental due diligence is essential for anyone looking to buy a property, whether commercial or residential. Hidden environmental liabilities are a massive problem you can face when purchasing a property that has not been evaluated for environmental due diligence; before making any large real estate transactions, make sure to understand the importance of this process.

When Is Environmental Due Diligence Required?

Lending institutions typically require environmental due diligence before they will finance a real estate purchase, refinance an existing loan, or accept collateral for a construction loan. If a cash buyer is involved, it is up to them to decide if a Phase I or other form of due diligence is necessary.

Who Benefits from Environmental Due Diligence?

Anyone purchasing a property can benefit from environmental due diligence, even if a lending institution is not involved in the sale. The process reduces the chances of someone purchasing real estate inheriting ecological concerns created by the former owners, it also provides an essential legal defense should issues arise.  Buyers get to know if there are environmental issues.  Sellers, although they typically would prefer a buyer not do due diligence, can avoid liability after the sale in the event contamination is found when a Phase I was not performed.  Lastly, lending institutions ensure that their loan is protected from contamination that can diminish the value of the asset.  A million-dollar property with a $400,000 cleanup is not worth 1 million dollars.

How Does Environmental Due Diligence Protect You?

Suppose environmental due diligence is performed before purchasing a property. In that case, the purchaser can gain protection from being held accountable for any pre-existing contaminations on the land according to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensations, and Liability Act provisions. If this process is not completed, the new owner can be held responsible for repairing the contamination.

Buyers can also avoid being hit with the cost of environmental cleanup.   After completing tens of thousands of property transactions, the cleanup of sites is most commonly found when the current owner was lax in performing any environmental due diligence.     There are many properties that are being sold or planned to be sold that have been held by the owner for a number of years and they never did any environmental assessment of the property.  

What Does the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERLCA) Require?

CERCLA establishes the process of determining who is liable for any hazardous substances on a property. Any property owners who are found to violate environmental due diligence can have to pay fines and fix the issues are their own expense, even if they aren’t responsible for the original contamination. Merely owning a contaminated property is enough to make you liable in the eyes of the law; this is why environmental due diligence is so necessary.

What is common Environmental Due Diligence?

The most common environmental due diligence is performing a Phase I ESA.  Phase I is an investigation into past and current ownership and uses of a property to assess the potential existence of hazardous substances or petroleum contamination on, in, or at a property.  It will even look at neighboring properties to see how they can affect the target property.   A Phase I ESA investigation is purely research and a site visit.  There is no testing during Phase I because you don't know if you have to test a site until Phase I is completed.   

There is a level of service you can expect from Phase I as they must be completed by an “environmental professional”.   The goal of the Phase I ESA is to identify recognized environmental conditions (“RECs”) that may affect the property or trigger liability for the buyer and determine whether further due diligence in regard to the RECs is appropriate.  Further evaluation can be Phase II or Phase III.  More about a Phase II & III can be found here  Phase II,  Phase III

A great resource with questions and answers regarding Phase I's can be found below. 

Phase  I  FAQ

Due Diligence Questions?  Call the Experts

888-301-1050

"Why would I have my home inspected or assessed for lead paint risks?"

1. Your child has been diagnosed as having lead poisoning. The most common home-based source of lead exposure is deteriorating lead-based paint which results in settled dust that young children can encounter.  
   
2. You live in a home built before 1978 where small children are or will be living.  Lead paint was banned nationally in 1978, some states banned lead paint earlier.
3. You are going to remodel, take down walls, enlarge a room, etc., anything that is going to disturb lead-based paint or generate lead-based paint dust and chips that can harm you and your family.
   

When buying a home, federal law allows the purchaser to conduct lead testing to determine whether lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards are present. This is of particular importance if you have or plan to have young children in the home, but what type of lead inspection do you need, Lead Paint Inspection or Lead Paint Risk Assessment?

If you are concerned about possible lead exposure to you, your family and pets, or visitors, then knowing if a hazard exists and where is the first line of defense against the hazard. 

What is the difference between a Lead Paint Inspection (LPI) and Lead Paint Risk Assessment?

A Lead Paint Inspection (LPI) is a surface-by-surface investigation to determine whether there is lead-based paint in a home or child-occupied facility, and where it is located. Certified inspectors or risk assessors can only perform lead Paint Inspections. Lead-based paint inspections determine the presence of lead-based paint.  Lead Paint Inspections utilize an X-Ray Fluorescence device to establish the presence, if any, of lead-based paint. XRF units produce x-rays and allow the user to determine on-site if a surface contains lead paint.  Inspections by using testing equipment. It is beneficial in determining whether lead-based paint is present prior to purchasing, renting, or renovating a home, and identifying potential sources of lead exposure at any time.

A Lead Paint Risk Assessment is an on-site investigation to determine the presence, type, severity, and location of lead-based paint hazards (including lead hazards in paint, dust, and soil) and suggests ways to control them. Risk assessments can be legally performed only by certified risk assessors. A Risk Assessment does not have to test for lead as most inspections are performed with the presumption that lead paint is present.

You can also have a combined inspection and risk assessment.  With any of these options, the risk assessor or inspector will provide you with a written report of findings.

Lead Paint inspections determine if lead is present and where on the property.  A lead paint risk assessment presumes lead paint is present and assesses hazards associated with lead paint.

Questions? 888-301-1050

Lead Paint Inspection Procedure

The lead-based paint survey begins with inspectors/risk assessors walking the subject property and documenting room equivalents, testing combinations, and selecting test locations all while looking for lead-based paint. The walls/sides of the property are distinguished by Side A, B, C, or D. Wall or side A is facing the street, then moving clockwise would be wall/side B, C (located at the rear of the property), and D. After the testing strategy is determined, the inspector/risk assessor uses a Lead Paint Spectrum Analyzer (XRF) to determine the lead content (mg/cm2) of painted surfaces at the subject site.  Surfaces with paints or coatings with concentrations of 1.0 mg/cm2 or greater are considered lead-based paint. The inspection follows  EPA’s work practice standards for conducting lead-based paint activities (40 CFR 745.227), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing (Guidelines), and all State and local regulations.

Lead Risk Assessment Procedure

Lead risk assessment entails a comprehensive visual evaluation of potential lead hazards, including lead-based paint, lead dust, lead in water, and/or lead in soil.  Testing can be completed as part of risk assessment. If you have questions regarding lead paint inspections please give our office a call.

Call Curren Today

Homeowners, Sellers, and Buyers seem to have oil tank removal issues.

Curren receives calls from people after their tank is removed that may or may not have an environmental issue and Curren sees this in both NJ, DE & PA. 

Where’s the Tank Removal Report

Homeowners with old underground oil tanks need to remove these tanks before they leak, well hopefully. When looking for tank removal companies, homeowners should receive a tank removal contract that provides costs and tank removal reports. Many removal companies provide no written tank removal report included for the tank removal work performed. Clearly, tank owners should and want their tank removal documented. The documentation of the tank removal can be passed on to a buyer when it is time to sell the property. The most important statement of an oil tank removal is “the tank didn’t leak”. The written report should provide documentation on the tank removal soil samples and explain how the tank removal company determined the tank leaked or did not leak. If the tank leaked, the tank removal report should explain what was seen, and the determination of the oil tank leak. Examples would include

• Were there two pin holes in the tank?
• Were there no holes in the tank but the soils had evidence of an oil impact?
• What did you see when you removed the tank?

At Curren, we find homeowners don’t get a tank removal report regardless of if the tank did or did not leak.   Of course, if you read the tank removal contract you can clearly see no report is referenced, but people don't know a tank removal report should be expected once the tank is removed and soil sample tests have been received.

Another problem is that tank removal companies do not prepare tank removal clients regarding the “what if the tank leaked”. We often hear from people who had their tank removed and it leaked.  The conversation before a tank is removed pertaining to the “What If” scenario of a tank leak is,   “we can address a tank leak when it happens”. Here at Curren, we see every tank removal could be a leaking tank removal so the potential downside should be discussed with the tank owner in preparation for a tank leak and what soil remediation involves.

Companies are removing tanks and not taking any soil samples and most notably, not including soil sampling in the tank removal cost. When tanks leaks and samples are not acquired (certainly not the 5 to 6 samples you would want if a tank leaked to evaluate if remediation is warranted), the tank owner is informed that remediation is required. The less scrupulous companies that remove tanks want remediation, even when they don't know 100% that remediation is warranted. By not including soil samples many tank removal companies provide a very low-cost tank removal and quickly flip the client a quote for remediation, when often remediation is not warranted and, in many cases, lacks any qualitative data that’s oil levels are above standards. We see this in all three states all the time.  You can't tell someone's cholesterol level by just looking at them, right?  Bloodwork is needed to know the levels of cholesterol and what types of medication are warranted.

Underground Oil tank removals require permitting in the state of NJ. People do not understand that when a permit is required, the permit is for the tank removal alone, no environmental testing is required to pass inspection.  Tank leaks and soil contamination are not a construction matter, which means the permit does not cover that part of the tank removal process, that part is environmental.    Some inspectors might not even get out of their vehicles if they see the removed tank aboveground.  Other inspectors will be more thorough and ask if holes were found in the tank, which if present will be referenced on the permit of either approval or fail, some inspectors fail tanks if holes are found in the tank.  The tank failing inspection complicates matters even more because the permit's objective was achieved, which was the tank removal. There are times when the inspectors fail the tank because holes were seen, but the soil samples come back days later and are clean.

The tank removal company will make the inspector look like the bad person in the project for failing a removed tank that has holes. The permitted task of removal was achieved, the tank was removed from underground. This leads the tank removal company to push for the need for remediation.   Inspectors want to make sure an observed tank leak is documented, and they typically request to be supplied with the tank leak incident number. This all leads to the tank owner thinking the local inspector failed their tank removal due to the leak when the bad news of a tank leak falls on the tank removal company.  If the company is licensed, they are familiar with the environmental regulations.  

Lead-Based Paint Inspections in Rental Dwelling Units as per  P.L. 2021, c. 182 aka New Jersey's Lead Safe Law July 2022

What New Landlords need to Know

July 22, 2022, New Jersey’s newest lead-based paint law is now in effect and the law affects all pre 1978 rental properties. The law is being referred to as New Jersey’s Lead Safe Certification and requires rental property owners to complete a lead paint inspection. The inspection is either visual or visual and wipe sampling depending on the municipality.

What landlords need to know

The New Jersey lead law requires that the landlord of residential properties (apartments, houses, duplexes, etc.) hire a certified lead evaluation contractor to perform inspection on target properties single family, two-family and multiple rental dwellings for lead-based paint hazards every three years. The first inspection must be completed by July 22, 2022, or at tenant turnover if that occurs prior to July 22, 2024.

If your rental property has not had lead testing performed previously and you would have obtained a Lead-Free certification, then you are to assume lead paint is present and have the lead paint inspection performed. In short if you don’t have paperwork stating the building has no lead paint you must perform the required inspections.

Curren Environmental offers lead based paint risk assessments and lead based paint inspections for NJ property owners. 

 888-301-1050

Visual Lead Safe Certification: The Curren certified lead inspector will perform a visual inspection of all interior areas of the rental unit, looking for deteriorated paint. New Jersey considers deteriorated paint to be chipping, peeling or flacking paint.   If no deteriorated paint is found the rental unit owner can receive a Lead Safe Certificate which is good for 2 years.

For example, one of the photos below would pass the lead safe inspection, the other would not.

Dust Wipe Testing for Lead Safe Certification:   The Curren certified lead inspector will perform a visual inspection of all interior areas of the rental unit AND obtain dust wipe samples for laboratory analysis.   If no lead is found by the analysis above government standards, the rental unit owner can receive a Lead Safe Certificate which is good for 2 years.

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Bank-owned properties with Environmental Issues.

Curren started dealing with Bank owned properties both residential and commercial starting in the 1990s.  Aside from the fact that buying a bank-owned property means you are buying a property that the owner will make no representations on, you are also likely buying a property with an environmental issue.  So due diligence is of paramount importance to protect your best interest.    For commercial sites a Phase I is mandatory and expect a Phase II.   For residential aside from a typical home inspection, you will need to pull the trigger on a tank sweep and mold inspection (be sure to get air sampling with the mold inspection).

Be double concerned if the bank-owned property was flipped.  

Flippers don’t do due diligence generally, so they are out looking for problems.  What issues have we seen with buying a flipped home $10,000 to $210,000 of Environmental remediation?  These costs relate to unhealthy levels of EDA leaching from the water pine, leaking oil tanks, hidden structural issues, and of course mold.

Pro Tip - We find mold issues in approximately 80% of former bank-owned sites.  The #1 reason is that the home was vacant and stuff happens when no one is home, like uncontrolled humidity and of course water leaks and rain entry into the structure that gets confidently covered over by the flipper.

Don’t Blame the Bank for Environmental Issues.

Unfortunately for both banks and borrowers, many mortgages fall into foreclosure with the bank taking title to the property.  Banks want to loan money not foreclose and clearly, people that obtain a mortgage do so with the intention of enjoying homeownership. 

But economic hardships happen,  in the 2007 recession thousands of homes had mortgages that were more than the property was worth, triggering a wave of foreclosures.  Mostly

The photo below, a restaurant that the bank owned.  The place sold and still smells of mold.

The rub with bank-owned properties is that the bank must take the asset back because the mortgagor is not paying the mortgage.  So if the house has a leaking roof,  the bank has to manage it.  Can you say mold?  Obvious issues with the home have to be addressed so the home does not decrease in value and is also in a condition where the house can be sold.    Undisclosed oil tanks are not an issue on the banks' priority list.  In practice, most banks are not equipped to process a foreclosed property.  Remember banks lend money, yes they have people to manage foreclosed properties but that is not their primary business so do not expect them to excel at it.    Banks are also looking to minimize their losses as they are now forced with taking a property back, so corners get cut. 

Did you know most banks once they take a property back utilities are shut off? If the house has a sub pump and it rains, well water fills the basement and mold grows. 

Pro Tip - Environmental issues can drive a property into foreclosure because the costs of remediation and the amount owed on the mortgage can exceed the property value.

The reality is with an uncertain economy, homes fall into foreclosure, making the bank responsible for the upkeep and future sale of the asset. Many of these properties have active and often times inactive tanks, and failing infrastructure, if you let the property fall into the bank's hands you don’t have the funds to maintain the property.  

Regarding tanks, the homeowner may have converted to natural gas, leaving the tank in place as it was just another expense.  Fast forward to today, the home is being sold "as is", the bank represents that a tank is onsite, but that’s it.  No warranties regarding contamination are expressed or implied.  

Buyer comes along and tests the tank because they are savvy enough to know tanks can leak and tank leaks are expensive to clean up.  They do a boring and find oil and either want to back out of the deal or want to know the cost for cleanup so they can negotiate the sales, and lower the cost of the purchase.  The problem is all they know is the tank leaked, clearly if the tank didn’t leak no cleanup is required no further worry.  What they don’t realize is that a tank leak is a whole other issue and you have to go into an investigative or diagnostic phase to determine the extent of the contamination.  Budget $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 on average to define (delineate) the contamination so remedial costs can be developed.  Delineation is akin to an architect drafting plans to build a home or an addition.  The architect's plans allow the owner to split costs on construction as the plans define things like the size of the house, the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and type of windows, in short, the details that make up the bigger picture.  A delineation says the contamination goes 16’ deep, groundwater is 14’ so you have a groundwater issue, contamination extends 2’ onto the neighbor's property, 6’ under the house, etc. get the picture?  

A tank test says hey there is an oil by the tank, a delineation says where the oil stopped flowing.  It gives you a 3D map you can follow to determine how much soil needs to be removed.

Now, what buyer is going to spend thousands of dollars to figure out remedial costs the bank may not even agree to since the sale is as is?  The answer is not many, people hope that the leak only costs 5k or $10,000.00, when in reality the cost could be $70,000 or $110,000.  You don’t know until you wrap your hands around the size.

Your best outcome is either to bite the bullet and do the delineation so you can actually have real costs to clean up or push the bank to delineate so you can negotiate a purchase price knowing the cleanup is only $42,000.00.   What bank is going to give a mortgage on a property that needs $42,000.00 worth of cleanup?

Now I just discussed neglect of the property during bank ownership.  How about intentional damage?   We see it, you can imagine losing a property is stressful.   Well, it can drive people to do destructive things. Think pulling out the cooper plumbing lines, cutting electrical wires, hammering holes in Sheetrock, and even dumping chemicals in the ground. Yea the last one is real we had a $800,000 property become bank owned, and the owner dumped oil, gas, and other compounds in the ground.  A neighbor told us he drained a boat into the ground and dumped oil out of lawn equipment on the ground.  You really can’t make this stuff up.

Environmental issues relating to real estate are complicated, you can trust issues want a firm with over 2 decades of experience.  Call Curren at 888-301-1050.