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U.S. ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT WITH CINCINNATI LANDLORD – 224 HOUSING UNITS TO BECOME LEAD SAFE

Release Date: 10/23/2014
Contact Information: Shantae Goodloe, HUD, (202) 708-0685

CINCINNATI – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement against a Cincinnati landlord for failing to inform tenants that their homes may contain potentially dangerous lead. The agreement requires Meyer Management, Inc. to replace windows and clean up lead-based paint hazards in 136 residential properties containing a total of 224 units (see attached list). In addition to the $350,000 worth of lead abatement work being performed, the company also agrees to pay civil penalties totaling $7,500.

According to the Federal Government, Meyer Management, Inc. violated the Federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (Residential Lead Act) by failing to inform tenants that their homes may contain potentially dangerous levels of lead. Cincinnati health department officials identified at least 5 children with elevated blood lead levels in the properties. Lead inspections and risk assessments had been performed in additional units, such that Meyer Management, Inc. had specific knowledge of lead in as many as 21 of the units in its properties. Going forward, Meyer Management, Inc. will ensure that information about lead-based paint will be provided to tenants before they are obligated under their lease.

As a result of the settlement, Meyer Management, Inc. will perform lead-based paint hazard reduction work, including window replacement and abatement of all friction and impact surfaces, and clearance exams within a period of six years to make those units lead safe for families. In addition, Meyer Management, Inc. will pay a $7,500 civil money penalty.

"Children should be protected from lead's destructive and permanent effects," said Matt Ammon, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. "We hope this settlement serves as a reminder to housing providers to do the right thing and let families who rent know about lead in their homes so they can protect their children from its hazards."

"Through these enforcement actions, EPA is sending a clear message to landlords and property managers that protecting children from exposure to lead-based paint is one of our highest priorities," EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said.

"This case illustrates the continued commitment by health officials and federal agencies to protect families' rights to a safe living environment," said U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart. "I commend the cooperative investigation."

The settlement announced today represents the third joint Residential Lead Act enforcement action in Cincinnati and was the result of intensive coordination among local health officials and federal investigators. HUD, EPA and the Department of Justice are continuing similar enforcement efforts around the nation, and so far have taken enforcement actions in which landlords have agreed to conduct lead-based paint hazard reduction in more than 186,745 apartments and pay $1,466,399 in civil penalties. In addition, a total of $703,750 has been provided by Defendants to community-based projects to reduce lead poisoning. In settling these cases, landlords have committed to expend more than an estimated $31 million to address lead-based paint hazards in the affected units.

Background

The Residential Lead Act is one of the primary federal enforcement tools to prevent lead poisoning in young children. The Lead Disclosure Rule requires home sellers and landlords of housing built before 1978 to disclose to purchasers and tenants knowledge of lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards using a disclosure form, signed by both parties, attached to the sales contract or lease containing the required lead warning statement, provide any available records or reports, and provide an EPA-approved “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home” pamphlet. Sellers must also provide purchasers with an opportunity to conduct a lead-based paint inspection and/or risk assessment at the purchaser’s expense. Acceptable lead disclosure forms can be found at www.hud.gov and www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadbase.htm.

Health Effects of Lead-Based Paint

Lead exposure causes reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, reduced height, poorer hearing, and a host of other health problems in young children. Many of these effects are thought to be irreversible. In later years, lead-poisoned children are much more likely to drop out of school, become juvenile delinquents and engage in criminal and other anti-social behavior. As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that even at low levels, lead exposure in children can significantly impact IQ and even delay puberty in young girls.

At higher levels, lead can damage a child's kidneys and central nervous system and cause anemia, coma, convulsions and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4 million households have children living in them that are being exposed to high levels of lead. There are approximately half a million U.S. children ages 1-5 with blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), the reference level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated."

Eliminating lead-based paint hazards in older low-income housing is essential if childhood lead poisoning is to be eradicated. According to CDC estimates, the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels has been cut in half since the early 1990's, although as many as 1 million children are still affected by lead poisoning today. HUD estimates that the number of houses with lead paint has declined from 64 million in 1990 to 38 million in 2000. About 24 million homes still have significant lead-based paint hazards.

Meyer Management, Inc. Subject Properties

	Address	Number of Units	Construction date
1.	2210 Amor	1	1865
2.	1114 Beech	3	1905
3.	6484 Betts	1	1952
4.	2608 Bushnell	1	1904
5.	1137 Carson	1	1880
6.	781/85 Clanora	9	1948
7.	3914 Clerose	4	1957
8.	540/42 Considine	2	1905
9.	1021 Considine	1	1900
10.	427 Crestline	1	1920
11.	3725 Darwin	2	1904
12.	648 Delhi	1	1889
13.	1032 Delmonte	1	1919
14.	1234 Dewey	1	1890
15.	1625 Dewey	1	1906
16.	8423 Dixie	1	1941
17.	1617 Dorothy	1	1946
18.	1618 Dorothy	1	1941
19.	462 Elberon	1	1931
20.	971 Elberon	1	1880
21.	538 Enright	4	1900
22.	933 Enright	2	1913
23.	963 Enright	2	1903
24.	965 Enright	2	1903
25.	1258 First	2	1913
26.	2822 Glenway	1	1915
27.	2908 Glenway	1	1915
28.	3507 Glenway	1	1915
29.	3531 Glenway	2	1925
30.	3633 Glenway	2	1893
31.	4536 Glenway	2	1900
32.	941 Grand	3	1908
33.	947 Grand	17	1969
34.	4401 Grove	1	1947
35.	1719 Harrison	1	1928
36.	1721 Harrison	1	1928
37.	1973 Harrison	1	1915
38.	1996 Harrison	2	1885

39.	658 Hawthorne	3	1890
40.	811 Hawthorne	2	1910
41.	1218 Iliff	3	1918
42.	1220 Iliff	2	1907
43.	1224 Iliff	1	1870
44.	814 Kirbert	3	1926
45.	3741 Laclede	1	1954
46.	3752 Laclede	2	1884
47.	1143 Mansion	1	1957
48.	1230 Manss	2	1930
49.	1239 Manss	2	1905
50.	1263 Manss	2	1890
51.	1310 Manss	2	1910
52.	1433 Manss	1	1907
53.	1435 Manss	1	1916
54.	3608 Maria	1	1923
55.	1040 Marshall	3	1900
56.	1214 Mckeone	1	1931
57.	918 Mcpherson	1	1931
58.	921 Mcpherson	2	1887
59.	922 Mcpherson	2	1905
60.	966 Mcpherson	1	1885
61.	968 Mcpherson	2	1885
62.	1024 Mcpherson	1	1917
63.	1026 Mcpherson	2	1900
64.	1117 Mcpherson	2	1900
65.	1123 Mcpherson	1	1890
66.	116 Meridian	1	1904
67.	1621 Minion	1	1950
68.	1751 Montrose	1	1885
69.	1912 Montrose	1	1885
70.	1233 Neff	1	1915
71.	957 Oakland	1	1914
72.	963 Oakland	1	1913
73.	580 Orchardview	1	1937
74.	472 Purcell	1	1916
75.	3718 Quante	1	1950
76.	1234 Quebec	1	1900
77.	2050 Queen City	1	1921
78.	279 Renner	1	1865
79.	2595 Ring	1	1905
80.	838 Rosemont	1	1895
81.	1212 Rosemont	1	1930
82.	1214 Rosemont	1	1929
83.	1210 Ross	2	1900

84.	1212 Ross	1	1905
85.	1214 Ross	1	1872
86.	1602 Ross	1	1920
87.	1603 Ross	1	1926
88.	4015 St. Lawrence	1	1915
89.	1139 Seton	3	1911
90.	710 State	2	1910
91.	927 State	2	1895
92.	929 State	2	1880
93.	1900 State	2	1885
94.	1014 Sturm	1	1896
95.	1016 Sturm	1	1896
96.	819 Summit	1	1897
97.	910 Summit	1	1879
98.	1964 Sunset	1	1964
99.	215 Symmes	1	1923
100.	611 Tafel	1	1890
101.	808 Terry	1	1956
102.	811 Terry	1	1922
103.	836 Terry	2	1922
104.	579 Trenton	1	1953
105.	926 Voss	1	1910
106.	3512/14 Warsaw	3	1900
107.	3522 Warsaw	1	1870
108.	3537 Warsaw	2	1900
109.	3539 Warsaw	2	1900
110.	3626 Warsaw	2	1893
111.	975 Wells	1	1890
112.	979 Wells	1	1895
113.	1017 Wells	1	1885
114.	3419 W. Eighth	2	1905
115.	3509 W. Eighth	1	1885
116.	3600 W. Eighth	2	1900
117.	3606 W. Eighth	2	1916
118.	3612 W. Eighth	1	1914
119.	3903 W. Liberty	1	1880
120.	1737 Westwood	1	1880
121.	1741 Westwood	1	1880
122.	722 Woodlawn	1	1927
123.	730 Woodlawn	1	1930
124.	733 Woodlawn	1	1915
125.	741 Woodlawn	2	1917
126.	742 Woodlawn	1	1928
127.	967 Woodlawn	1	1923
128.	1642 Wyoming	2	1932

129.	2098 Yoast	1	1925
130.	5858 Pleasant	1
131.	5335 Mississippi	1	1957
132.	1994 Harrison	2	1880
133.	1812 Queen City	2	1890
134.	1239 Ross	2	1905
135.	1606 Ross	2	1927
136.	5136 Valley Ridge	1

TOTAL UNITS - 224