Q: Once law enforcement completes its activities at a “meth house,” who is responsible for the final cleanup? Does the meth-contaminated house have to be completely demolished? When can the work begin?
—L. Webb, Lilburn
A: Once the police department releases the house, it becomes the homeowner's responsibility, Cpl. Jake Smith, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, told Q&A on the News. He wrote in an e-mail that usually the insurance company will handle repairs, and it is usually the insurance company that decides whether the house will be repaired or demolished. The DEA inspects the scene and if it deems the home chemically safe, the site is released. "As far as the police are concerned, the work can begin as soon as the site is released," he wrote. If the house is not cleaned up, then the Quality of Life Unit will issue a notice of violation. If the issues on the notice are not addressed within 30 days, the owner will be cited, he wrote. Gwinnett County code enforcement officials told Q&A on the News that after 30 days pass, the lien holder is held responsible. It can be a long process, but officials said they will continue to investigate leads to determine who is the proper owner of the home.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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