LEADING LEAD LITIGATION LAWYERS - Pb : LANDLORD LEAD POISONING DEFENSE - IN BALTIMORE

www.charlesjeromeware.com                 " Here to make a Difference."


The nationally recognized and respected landlord lead paint poisoning defense law firm of Charles Jerome Ware, LLC is Maryland-based.  For an initial courtesy consultation, contact the firm at (410) 720-6129. We can help you if you are being sued.


Lead (Pb) has been present in various forms in Baltimore since Colonial times. Lead-based paint used in residences built before 1978, and in other buildings, is just one of several sources of lead (Pb) in this large, traditionally industrial, city. Other sources of lead in Baltimore and other large Mid-Atlantic and Northeast cities can include : drinking water, pipes and other plumbing fixtures,  dust, soil and playgrounds, industrial work sites, food and other liquids, jewelry, furniture, pottery, ceramics, toys, folk remedies, cosmetics and other products, etc., and even in the air we breathe Lead is virtually everywhere in the environment. When ingested and/or inhaled is sufficient amounts, it can cause serious harm to the body, particularly in children up to age 6.


If you are a landlord renting a house or apartment in Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, Newark, New York, Boston, etc., that was built before 1978, there is a good chance it contains at least some lead-based paint . The Federal government banned residential and other consumer uses of lead-containing paint starting in 1978. However, Baltimore city was quicker than the Federal government ---  banning the use of lead pigment in interior paint in Baltimore housing in 1951.


There are several  local, state and Federal "notice " requirements and laws that landlords should be aware of in each of major cities I have named above. It is important for the landlord to understand and follow closely these notices and laws. For example, among others:
- In 1971, the Federal Lead Poisoning Prevention Act was passed.
-In 1978, the Federal government banned residential and consumer uses of lead paint.
-In 1992, the Federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, commonly known as TITLE X, was passed
- In 1996, the Real Estate Notification Rule ( aka, the " Lead Disclosure Rule") took effect.
- Under Maryland law, anyone who acts as a supervisor or contractor for the purpose of removing or abating lead paint must be accredited by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Workers who perform "purposeful" lead (pB) abatement(removal) shall be trained by a training provider approved by MDE. Most other states have similar lead (Pb) abatement restrictions.


- Notice, Documentation and Implementation are important keys for landlords to remember with residential rentals --- and they are particularly crucial to remember with respect to avoidance of lead paint lawsuits by tenants in pre-1978 built apartments and houses.