Decent is as Decent Does

Joan and Jack Knowles of Greensboro North Carolina claim to be "decent people".

Knowing that lead is harmful and can cause permanent brain damage to children, they rented a house that contained exposed and flaking lead based paint to a woman 8 months pregnant with twins. They did work on the house that left lead dust and paint flakes in a child's crib.

Knowing the house was potentiality hazardous they ignored warnings and labels on paint cans, tools, and home renovation materials for years. They simply closed their eyes to the danger and hoped for the best until finally a 9- month old girl was lead poisoned.

They ignored the dangers, but not to the point of ignoring their potential liability - they attempted to have a new lease signed that included a clause obliging the tenant (at the tenants expense) to have insurance if someone were harmed in the house.

And the original lease stated:

"although freshly painted , subsurfaces may contain lead based paint"

This sounds to Flocke like they actually knew that lead based paint existed in the house. They are legally obliged to disclose this information. But they did not. Not even to a pregnant women who would bring two infants home to that house.

Is it possible for someone who owns and rents numerous houses over a period of years to not be aware that pre-1978 houses could contain lead based paint? And that houses built in the 1920s almost certainly Do contain lead based paint.

Even after receiving a report showing lead levels thousands of times the EPA safe limits, and stating in summary that the house is a danger to children, their first response was to immediately re-rent the house to families with young children.

Checking numerous sources Flocke finds decency defined as follows:

• Characterized by conformity to recognized standards of propriety or morality.
• Marked by moral integrity, kindness, and goodwill.
• Behaving towards other people in an honest, fair, and nice way.
• Following moral standards that are acceptable to society
• Conforming to approved social standard
• Morally correct or acceptable.
• Conforming with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behavior.

Yet they claim to be "decent people".

Self interest and a desire for profit in this case trumped decency ... or so it appears to Flocke.

If Joan and Jack Knowles are decent people, they should be ashamed of their behavior.

Decent behavior would include an apology.

Lead Paint and Joan and Jack Knowles of 110 Beverly Pl., GSO, NC

Joan and Jack Knowles of 110 Beverly Place Greensboro N.C , rented out a property 306 Woodbine Court. A lead inspection showed that lead levels in the house were thousands of time the EPA safe limit.

They broke the law:

• They did not provide a lead hazard disclosure statement.
  
• They did not disclose information about lead based paint.
• They did not have certification to do renovations on a pre - 1978 house. They installed a small air conditioner unit next to a crib. They scraped the lead based paint and did not protect a 9 month old baby's crib. Essentially, they rained lead paint and dust down on an infant's crib. They did not protect the crib with plastic, let alone use lead safe work practices.
• They did not provide a pamplet called "Protect your family from lead based paint".

Also

• They did not apologize for their behavior which seriously harmed a small baby, potentially for life.
• When informed of the harm they had done they said "...do you know how much money this will cost us ..."
• They snuck into the property without warning, to try to "fix" certain areas. They gave no notice that they would come in, or even notice that they had come in. Presumably they did not want to give warning, so no pictures of the dangerous areas could be taken. They left dangerous lead paint chips on the floor...
• After receiving a report showing that the house was Dangerous for Children, immediately paraded 3 families with young children though the house, intending to rent to them immediately.
• Upon receiving the report about lead hazards in the house, threatened eviction (they did not use the term eviction but rather 'you will have to leave in 3 days' ) upon refusal to sign an 'addendum to the lease' . The addendum was in fact a portion of the lease they should have originally supplied, and had language in it intended to disclose to tenants the hazards of lead. Not intended to be used when tenants inform the Landlords that the house is dangerous and they are therefore leaving.
• Only decided (or so it appears from the timing of their behaviour) to do something about the house when the public health department was informed because of an elevated blood lead level of a 9 month old girl.

Their behavior was not only illegal but just WRONG.

Do decent people, threaten to throw a family out on the street - two young children - whom they have potentially harmed with their negligence ? Do decent people threaten a mother who wants to leave a house that has harmed her children??

Flocke does not think so.

For unsuspecting tenants - consider checking references of your landlords before signing a lease ... ?

And if you have young children, learn about Lead based paint hazards. Do not count on your landlords to do the right thing.

See:

• Document which explains the responsibility of landlords and sellers regarding lead based paint in a home.
• Document which describes how to keep your family safe from lead.

Flocke will not forgive such unethical behavior ...