Nosy neighbors help Washington crack a case of asbestos violators
Companies tried to avoid responsibility by creating "a legal web of confusion"
It almost sounds like the plot of a movie. Alert neighbors living near a home being renovated notice that some workers are improperly removing exterior asbestos tiles from the structure. They confront the man who claims to be the homeowner. He promises to remove the asbestos correctly, but the neighbors take videos showing that his workers continue to commit asbestos-related violations. Angry that the neighborhood’s residents – and those workers – are being exposed to the dangerous substance, they contact the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) about their concerns. The agency begins an investigation.
That’s the way a recent enforcement case in Washington State began. What followed was a shell game during which Chris Walters, the alleged homeowner and sole owner of Densmore LLC and James Thorpe, owner of house flipping company Northlake Capital & Development, attempted to shift responsibility from LLC to LLC and from person to person. The L&I persevered, however and eventually, both men and the companies they oversee were cited for the same violations.