NYT: IBM offers $10,000 to owners of contaminated houses

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September 3, 2004

I.B.M. Offers $10,000 to Owners of Contaminated Houses

By ANTHONY DePALMA

he I.B.M. Corporation announced yesterday that it was willing to pay $10,000

each to the owners of nearly 500 contaminated homes in the upstate village of

Endicott if the owners give up their right to sue for property damages caused

by industrial pollution.

Residents have complained that ventilation systems I.B.M. has installed in

their homes since 2002 to prevent toxic vapors from building up in the basements

have hurt property values. Last year they asked Attorney General Eliot

Spitzer for help in protecting home values.

Mr. Spitzer's office negotiated with I.B.M. for a year to develop the payment

program, which is modeled after a similar effort in Rochester. Endicott

officials think the payments will help revive the village, compensate homeowners

for lost real estate values and allow residents to improve their homes, creating

spillover economic benefits. Homeowners would not be required to use the

money for home improvements.

The owners of the 480 houses and a handful of commercial properties that were

offered the ventilation systems are eligible to receive payments. Owners

would give up the right to sue for property damages but would still be able to

sue

for personal injury.

The program could cost I.B.M. more than $5 million, and will be another

costly step in the company's efforts to remediate hazards it helped create in

this

upstate village just west of Binghamton, where it got its start nearly a

century ago. Other manufacturers also contributed to the pollution, but only

I.B.M.

is helping clean it up.

Last month, I.B.M. agreed to a consent order with the state to clean up the

remaining pollution, a byproduct of chemicals called volatile organic compounds

that were used as degreasers.

Residents of Endicott had a mixed reaction to the announcement of the payment

program.

" My gut reaction is that sounds like a buyout, " said M. Blaine, the

director of a community outreach program who has owned a house in there for 31

years.

Mr. Blaine, 52, said he was not sure that he would accept the money and give

up his right to sue if he cannot sell his house at market value. " If I had to

say yes or no right now I'd probably say no, " he said. " I need to think about

it. "

ph T. Havel has no doubt. " I'm not taking it, " Mr. Havel said. " It's like

a payoff, isn't it? "

Mr. Havel is a taxidermist who used to work in his basement until state

environmental officials discovered that the plume of groundwater contamination

was

giving off vapors that were seeping into the many basements, including his. He

has since abandoned the basement and built a workshop in the garage.

" If I tried to sell my house right now, I probably wouldn't get any more than

$60,000, " he said. " People across the street from me have been trying to sell

for over a year. "

He said the house had an assessed value of $102,000.

A. Munro, an assistant attorney general who worked with I.B.M. to

develop the program, said there was no evidence that property values had

declined

since the vapor problem was discovered.

Rose Sotak, a real estate agent whose parents owned a house in Endicott that

they have willed to her 18-year-old daughter, , said sales records

indicated that prices had actually increased from 1 to 5 percent a year in the

last few years.

Ms. Sotak said she would accept I.B.M.'s offer and put the money toward

's college tuition.

" The way I look at it, " Mrs. Sotak said, " I.B.M. will be paying over $5

million, which will be great for the economy here. "

Samme Chittum contributed reporting for this article.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company | Home | Privacy Policy | Search |

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[Guest guest]

What a chintzy buyout. Hope they don't accept it. IBM should be

willing to buy their homes. They've contaminated acres of property all

over NY - especially in Fishkill and Kingston.

Barth

TOXIC MOLD SURVEY: www.presenting.net/sbs/sbssurvey.html

---

Mac> September 3, 2004

Mac> I.B.M. Offers $10,000 to Owners of Contaminated Houses

Mac> By ANTHONY DePALMA

Mac>    

Mac> he I.B.M. Corporation announced yesterday that it was willing to pay

$10,000

Mac> each to the owners of nearly 500 contaminated homes in the upstate village

of

Mac> Endicott if the owners give up their right to sue for property damages

caused

Mac> by industrial pollution.

Mac> Residents have complained that ventilation systems I.B.M. has installed in

Mac> their homes since 2002 to prevent toxic vapors from building up in the

basements

Mac> have hurt property values. Last year they asked Attorney General Eliot

Mac> Spitzer for help in protecting home values.

Mac> Mr. Spitzer's office negotiated with I.B.M. for a year to develop the

payment

Mac> program, which is modeled after a similar effort in Rochester. Endicott

Mac> officials think the payments will help revive the village, compensate

homeowners

Mac> for lost real estate values and allow residents to improve their homes,

creating

Mac> spillover economic benefits. Homeowners would not be required to use the

Mac> money for home improvements.

Mac> The owners of the 480 houses and a handful of commercial properties that

were

Mac> offered the ventilation systems are eligible to receive payments. Owners

Mac> would give up the right to sue for property damages but would still be able

to sue

Mac> for personal injury.

Mac> The program could cost I.B.M. more than $5 million, and will be another

Mac> costly step in the company's efforts to remediate hazards it helped create

in this

Mac> upstate village just west of Binghamton, where it got its start nearly a

Mac> century ago. Other manufacturers also contributed to the pollution, but

only I.B.M.

Mac> is helping clean it up.

Mac> Last month, I.B.M. agreed to a consent order with the state to clean up the

Mac> remaining pollution, a byproduct of chemicals called volatile organic

compounds

Mac> that were used as degreasers.

Mac> Residents of Endicott had a mixed reaction to the announcement of the

payment

Mac> program.

Mac> " My gut reaction is that sounds like a buyout, " said M. Blaine, the

Mac> director of a community outreach program who has owned a house in there for

31

Mac> years.

Mac> Mr. Blaine, 52, said he was not sure that he would accept the money and

give

Mac> up his right to sue if he cannot sell his house at market value. " If I had

to

Mac> say yes or no right now I'd probably say no, " he said. " I need to think

about

Mac> it. "

Mac> ph T. Havel has no doubt. " I'm not taking it, " Mr. Havel said. " It's

like

Mac> a payoff, isn't it? "

Mac> Mr. Havel is a taxidermist who used to work in his basement until state

Mac> environmental officials discovered that the plume of groundwater

contamination was

Mac> giving off vapors that were seeping into the many basements, including his.

He

Mac> has since abandoned the basement and built a workshop in the garage.

Mac> " If I tried to sell my house right now, I probably wouldn't get any more

than

Mac> $60,000, " he said. " People across the street from me have been trying to

sell

Mac> for over a year. "

Mac> He said the house had an assessed value of $102,000.

Mac> A. Munro, an assistant attorney general who worked with I.B.M. to

Mac> develop the program, said there was no evidence that property values had

declined

Mac> since the vapor problem was discovered.

Mac> Rose Sotak, a real estate agent whose parents owned a house in Endicott

that

Mac> they have willed to her 18-year-old daughter, , said sales records

Mac> indicated that prices had actually increased from 1 to 5 percent a year in

the

Mac> last few years.

Mac> Ms. Sotak said she would accept I.B.M.'s offer and put the money toward

Mac> 's college tuition.

Mac> " The way I look at it, " Mrs. Sotak said, " I.B.M. will be paying over $5

Mac> million, which will be great for the economy here. "

Mac> Samme Chittum contributed reporting for this article.

Mac> Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company | Home | Privacy Policy | Search

|

Mac> Corrections | RSS | Help | Back to Top

Mac>    

Mac>

[Guest guest]

What a chintzy buyout. Hope they don't accept it. IBM should be

willing to buy their homes. They've contaminated acres of property all

over NY - especially in Fishkill and Kingston.

Barth

TOXIC MOLD SURVEY: www.presenting.net/sbs/sbssurvey.html

---

Mac> September 3, 2004

Mac> I.B.M. Offers $10,000 to Owners of Contaminated Houses

Mac> By ANTHONY DePALMA

Mac>    

Mac> he I.B.M. Corporation announced yesterday that it was willing to pay

$10,000

Mac> each to the owners of nearly 500 contaminated homes in the upstate village

of

Mac> Endicott if the owners give up their right to sue for property damages

caused

Mac> by industrial pollution.

Mac> Residents have complained that ventilation systems I.B.M. has installed in

Mac> their homes since 2002 to prevent toxic vapors from building up in the

basements

Mac> have hurt property values. Last year they asked Attorney General Eliot

Mac> Spitzer for help in protecting home values.

Mac> Mr. Spitzer's office negotiated with I.B.M. for a year to develop the

payment

Mac> program, which is modeled after a similar effort in Rochester. Endicott

Mac> officials think the payments will help revive the village, compensate

homeowners

Mac> for lost real estate values and allow residents to improve their homes,

creating

Mac> spillover economic benefits. Homeowners would not be required to use the

Mac> money for home improvements.

Mac> The owners of the 480 houses and a handful of commercial properties that

were

Mac> offered the ventilation systems are eligible to receive payments. Owners

Mac> would give up the right to sue for property damages but would still be able

to sue

Mac> for personal injury.

Mac> The program could cost I.B.M. more than $5 million, and will be another

Mac> costly step in the company's efforts to remediate hazards it helped create

in this

Mac> upstate village just west of Binghamton, where it got its start nearly a

Mac> century ago. Other manufacturers also contributed to the pollution, but

only I.B.M.

Mac> is helping clean it up.

Mac> Last month, I.B.M. agreed to a consent order with the state to clean up the

Mac> remaining pollution, a byproduct of chemicals called volatile organic

compounds

Mac> that were used as degreasers.

Mac> Residents of Endicott had a mixed reaction to the announcement of the

payment

Mac> program.

Mac> " My gut reaction is that sounds like a buyout, " said M. Blaine, the

Mac> director of a community outreach program who has owned a house in there for

31

Mac> years.

Mac> Mr. Blaine, 52, said he was not sure that he would accept the money and

give

Mac> up his right to sue if he cannot sell his house at market value. " If I had

to

Mac> say yes or no right now I'd probably say no, " he said. " I need to think

about

Mac> it. "

Mac> ph T. Havel has no doubt. " I'm not taking it, " Mr. Havel said. " It's

like

Mac> a payoff, isn't it? "

Mac> Mr. Havel is a taxidermist who used to work in his basement until state

Mac> environmental officials discovered that the plume of groundwater

contamination was

Mac> giving off vapors that were seeping into the many basements, including his.

He

Mac> has since abandoned the basement and built a workshop in the garage.

Mac> " If I tried to sell my house right now, I probably wouldn't get any more

than

Mac> $60,000, " he said. " People across the street from me have been trying to

sell

Mac> for over a year. "

Mac> He said the house had an assessed value of $102,000.

Mac> A. Munro, an assistant attorney general who worked with I.B.M. to

Mac> develop the program, said there was no evidence that property values had

declined

Mac> since the vapor problem was discovered.

Mac> Rose Sotak, a real estate agent whose parents owned a house in Endicott

that

Mac> they have willed to her 18-year-old daughter, , said sales records

Mac> indicated that prices had actually increased from 1 to 5 percent a year in

the

Mac> last few years.

Mac> Ms. Sotak said she would accept I.B.M.'s offer and put the money toward

Mac> 's college tuition.

Mac> " The way I look at it, " Mrs. Sotak said, " I.B.M. will be paying over $5

Mac> million, which will be great for the economy here. "

Mac> Samme Chittum contributed reporting for this article.

Mac> Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company | Home | Privacy Policy | Search

|

Mac> Corrections | RSS | Help | Back to Top

Mac>    

Mac>