Homeowners face losing homes, land due to asbestos

Asbestos is an international concern as it is used in materials that are shipped and used around the world. Even when people living in other countries are affected by asbestos, they still face the same devastation and challenges that people living right here in North Carolina face in regards to asbestos.

For example, people in this state may be aware of the serious situation that many Australians have been facing recently. For roughly 20 years, a company called Mr Fluffy used significant levels of asbestos in sulation for homes across parts of the country. However, even after efforts to remove the asbestos were launched decades later, many homes still tested positive for traces of asbestos. Now, the homeowners are being dealt another blow as they face the potential for losing their home and their land.

Reports indicate that over 1,000 residents are at risk for losing their home due to asbestos contamination. Many of these residents are quite angry about this, and understandably so. Dozens of residents — many of whom are elderly — have submitted pleas to the government to let them stay in their home or keep the land on which their home was built. Unfortunately, the government plans to demolish all the contaminated homes and surrounding landscaping.

While the government has offered to buy the homes now, many people feel that this move is a way to clear out homeowners and rebuild areas in the interest of financial gain.

This situation is an unfortunate reminder that asbestos can affect more than people’s health. When asbestos is found in a home, it can be expensive and inconvenient to have renovations or abatement completed. Not only this, but in some cases like those in Australia, people end up losing their entire home and have to go through the difficult steps to find and move into a new place.

Understanding your rights when it comes to your health, financial options and living situation can be crucial in protecting these things. Whether you are facing the immediate consequences of being diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness or are concerned about the long-term consequences of asbestos in your home, you can speak with an attorney to learn more about what the next steps should be.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, “Many owners of Mr Fluffy homes plead with government to let them stay,” Kirsten Lawson, Dec. 1, 2014