BALTIMORE, MD (September 21, 2004) – An administrative law judge has found a former Baltimore City lead inspector liable for violating the state’s lead laws. A company controlled by Ali Sardorizadeh, Ferdosi Inc., was also found liable.

In December 2003, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued a complaint against Sardorizadeh and Ferdosi Inc. for violations of the Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing Act.

In the five-count complaint, MDE said that Sardorizadeh and his company had failed to register four pre-1950 residential rental properties with MDE, failed to obtain a risk reduction certificate for a house located at 807 McCabe Avenue in Baltimore City, and failed to have at least 50 percent of their properties certified to be in compliance with the full risk reduction standard by February 2001.

“Maryland has made a great deal of progress in ensuring that families are not exposed to lead in older houses,” said Kendl P. Philbrick, the secretary of the environment. “There are still dwellings where lead is present and we will continue to enforce the law to ensure that children are not put at risk.”

The judge found Sardorizadeh and Ferdosi Inc. liable on all five counts and assessed a total civil penalty of $84,000. They have 30 days from September 16, 2004, the date of the decision, to petition for judicial review with the Circuit Court of Baltimore City.

The properties were brought into compliance before the hearing.

Maryland's Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing Law, enacted in 1994, requires owners of rental property constructed before 1950 to meet a lead hazard risk reduction standard. Property owners are required to meet the standard whenever there is tenant turnover. As of Feb. 24, 2001 property owners were required to ensure that no less than 50 percent of their units were in compliance with the lead hazard risk reduction standard. Owners of residential rental dwellings units constructed before 1950 are required to register each affected property with MDE.

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