Non-disclosure of radon by seller is a violation of law - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

[Brian Hannigan]

InspectionNews has just found the following information that might be of interest to you:



Non-disclosure of radon by seller is a violation of law (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/3-0&fd=R&url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08033/853765-30.stm&cid=1127502649&ei=9RKkR4eVB4XaygST17mDDQ)
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA - 1 hour ago
We also did not have a home inspection prior to buying the home because it was new construction and is located in a development with other newly constructed ...


More... (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/3-0&fd=R&url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08033/853765-30.stm&cid=1127502649&ei=9RKkR4eVB4XaygST17mDDQ)

[Rick Bunzel]

The column writers response to this is flawed. I am certified to do radon testing and have done hundreds of tests while I was an inspector in Boulder, Colorado. In the new construction most builders disclaim RADON and encouraged home owners to have their own tests done. Very few ever paid for a mitigation system. A builder cannot know which homes will have RADON problems without testing each home.

I have even tested town homes where on one end I get a high reading and on the other get acceptable readings. I have tested a home where houses of either side had mitigation systems and the test home was fine. I quickly learned that there were no visual clues that could tell you if the house was going to read high or not.

The building industry gets sued all the time and their lawyers write their contracts to cover issues like this. Once again, I would speculate that the buyers signed a form in the closing documents, they just didn't realize it. At least in Colorado the Realtors would position the home with the mitigation system as a plus, not a negative.

//Rick