You may remember the story of Jonathan and Beth Hankins, the couple in Klamath Falls, Oregon who bought a Freddie Mac home only to have to move out a few weeks later after finding out it had been a meth lab. Well, it looks like this has a happy ending. Freddie Mac and the Hankinses have agreed to an undisclosed settlement.
"After speaking to the Hankins and hearing their concerns first hand we were able to work closely together and come to a mutually agreeable resolution," according to a statement by Freddie Mac. "We will continue to review and update our policies to protect our buyers and their confidence in HomeSteps homes."
After neighbors informed the couple about the home's history, the Hankins said they contacted contractors who advised them to have the home tested for meth residue. They bought a kit for $50 and swabbed their home. After submitting their results to a lab, they learned that they had 38 micrograms of methamphetamine residue. The Oregon Health Authority's minimum to require a homeowner to clean up their home is 0.5 micrograms per square foot.
As it turned out, Klamath Falls authorities didn't notify the Oregon Health Authority because there weren't any recent enforcement actions at the house. Had that been the case, the information would have almost certainly been revealed to Freddie Mac--and in all likelihood the Hankinses' ordeal would have never happened.
This didn't come without some prodding. A petition the Hankinses started on Change.org garnered 212,000 signatures. Nonetheless, the Hankinses are thrilled this got resolved.
"We're certainly grateful for Change.org and all of our supporters. We don't feel like we would have gotten this far without them. We're also thankful to Freddie Mac to working with us once they were aware of our concerns," Jonathan Hankins said about the settlement.
They aren't letting up, though. They testified before the Oregon state legislature yesterday, and their local state representative, Gail Whitsett, has tabled a bill that would require foreclosed or auctioned homes to be tested for meth.