An Indiana family was driven from its “dream home” after discovering that the home used to be a methamphetamine lab.
According to a report from NPR, Jennifer Nugent, her husband and two children bought a home in the small Indiana town of Mooresville two years ago.
Shortly after moving in, the Nugents’ children started getting sick and it got worse from there.
From the NPR report:
The kids were constantly sick and struggling to sleep. The Nugents puzzled over their children's health problems until a neighbor mentioned that the previous homeowner referred to the bathroom as his "smoke shop."
That's when Nugent paid $50 for a methamphetamine test. The first test revealed meth levels three times the legal limit. When meth is smoked, dangerous chemicals are released into the air that can cling to clothing, carpets and walls.
According to the NPR report, Indiana recently passed a new state law that requires homeowners to disclose if meth was manufactured in the home, but the law is dependent on the previous owner’s honesty.
"You're relying on a criminal to disclose his criminal acts to a buyer and lose the sale," Nugent told NPR. "So I don't think that's enough."
Sadly for the Nugent family, even after having their home decontaminated, they still decided to sell their dream home – for a “significant” financial loss.