A buyer's attorney warns that prior industrial contamination on a site could create cleanup liability under federal law. Which federal environmental law is the attorney referencing?
Correct Answer
B) CERCLA, the federal Superfund law on cleanup liability
CERCLA, the Superfund statute, imposes strict, joint-and-several, and retroactive liability for the cost of cleaning up releases of hazardous substances, and it reaches current owners and operators even when someone else did the contaminating. That is why an attorney warns a buyer about a site with industrial history, and why a purchaser who wants the bona fide prospective purchaser protection performs all appropriate inquiries, typically a Phase I environmental site assessment, before closing. The other statutes regulate ongoing conduct such as waste handling, water discharges, and chemicals in commerce rather than assigning liability for legacy contamination to a new owner.
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Related Topics & Key Terms
Key Terms:
Related Concepts
Environmental hazards disclosure involves informing buyers about environmental contamination or hazards affecting or potentially affecting a property, including underground storage tanks, contaminated soil, hazardous waste, and proximity to Superfund sites.
Flood zone disclosure requires informing buyers whether a property is located in a designated flood zone as mapped by FEMA. Properties in high-risk flood zones may require mandatory flood insurance.
HOA disclosure requires informing buyers about the existence, rules, fees, financial health, and restrictions of a homeowners association governing the property. This information helps buyers understand their obligations before purchase.
More Property Disclosures Questions
A seller who fails to provide required disclosures may be liable for:
HOA disclosure requirements typically include:
Potential buyers lose interest in a house because local media repeatedly called it haunted even though inspections reveal no physical problem. What issue is this?
A seller knows that a prior occupant died peacefully in the home several years ago, and there is no physical defect. Which special disclosure issue is presented?
The doctrine of 'caveat emptor' (buyer beware) has been largely replaced by:
- → In a state that requires a written disclosure of a home's condition to the buyer, the disclosure form is filled out by:
- → Under TRID, the Loan Estimate replaced which older disclosure form that was previously provided to borrowers early in the loan process?
- → The Closing Disclosure must be received by the borrower at least three business days before closing. If closing is scheduled for Friday and no federal holiday falls during that week, when is the latest the borrower can receive the Closing Disclosure?
- → The Closing Disclosure replaced which two older disclosure forms that were previously used in residential mortgage transactions?
- → Under TRID, all of the following are included on Page 1 of the Loan Estimate EXCEPT.
- → A borrower compares the Loan Estimate with the Closing Disclosure and sees that government recording fees rose from $350 to $400. Under the TRID tolerance rules, is that increase permitted?
- → A borrower receives a Loan Estimate and notices that the estimated title insurance fee is $1,200. At closing, the Closing Disclosure shows the title insurance fee is $1,400. The borrower was allowed to shop for title insurance from a list provided by the lender. Under TRID tolerance rules, is this increase permissible?
- → A lender's origination charge on the Loan Estimate is $2,000. At closing, the origination charge on the Closing Disclosure is $2,300. Under TRID, what must the lender do?
- → A borrower submits a mortgage loan application on Monday. Under TRID, by when must the lender provide the Loan Estimate?
- → The Closing Disclosure includes a section showing how much total interest the borrower will pay over the life of the loan. A borrower sees that for a $300,000 30-year fixed-rate loan at 6.5 percent, the total interest exceeds $382,000. What purpose does this disclosure serve?
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