Ryland Pays Big for Bad Land

Ryland Homes is offering to buy back homes for the original selling price from residents of its Lexington Manner subdivision in Butler Country, Ohio, after hazardous lead levels were discovered in yards earlier this year. The subdivision recently was declared a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. In addition, Ryland division president John Adams offered homeowners $15,000 for additional expenses and $10,000 off the cost of another Ryland home. If the GIANT builder buys back the 28 occupied homes in the 46-lot subdivision and pays out the other costs, the company’s loss could reach $15 million.

Homeowners filed suit against the builder, charging that they were never informed of lead in the ground. The parcel was a former skeet-shooting range, and Ryland treated the lead-tainted soil before building. Cleanup of the subdivision is expected to begin this summer.