A landlord in Lyndon is being fined for filing a false lead paint compliance document.

Denis Laferriere who owns the property at 298 Main Street, is being ordered to pay ten thousand dollars in civil penalties for the offense, and must have the building up to code by November 13th. The violation occurred when Laferriere failed to perform an essential maintenance practice, commonly know as EMPS, which was require by Vermont board of health as well as the owners insurance carrier. This required maintenance checkup is for all properties that were built before 1978.

According to Rob McDougall, Assistant Attorney General, houses in Vermont are generally fall in the category of being built before 1978, “Vermont has a very old housing stock, the number of rental units tha were built prior to 1978 in Vermont. It’s about seventy percent of the total housing units, I believe thtat its eighty percent of the rentals, so there’s a very old housing stock in Vermont and anyone that lives in the property that’s older than 1978 should be aware that there’s potentially lead pain in their property”.