In my experinece, anything FEDERAL, requires that everybody (the public) has an opportunity to bid on their work. Anybody know for sure?

Not "everybody", you still have to qualified to perform the work.

Yes, I agree on the issue of being qualified, more specifically, how does one learn of federal (VA, HUD, FHA, Fannie and Freddie)bidding opportunities?

pbaker_8@msn.com

How does Safeguard handle hazardous materials? We have an REO listing that has some large paint containers and the Safeguard contractor was not allowed to remove them. Safeguard must have special contractors to handle hazardous materials. Can anyone update me on these contractors and the payment for such work?

Douglas ~

Is this a new policy Safeguard has? When I worked for them, the instructions were always to remove everything during a trashout, including hazards.

That could explain why we're coming across properties during grass cut season that have been cleaned & winterized but have hazards still in the garage. In most cases, these properties were transferred from one asset management company to another. I wonder if that was also the reason for the transfer? Interesting.

In doing "Prepare to Convey" work orders, the household hazardous wastes were always the first items to be removed. During a routine trashout, it was always the last thing. But it was always done.

Linda

Some localities may have special requirements or permits that are required for handling hazardous waste. If the Safeguard contractor doesn't have these then they can't complete that phase of the task. Safeguard needs to make sure their contractors are fully qualified for whatever they might run into in the area where they work. If they don't have a qualified contractor in that area then they may have to bring one in from somewhere else. Unfortunately I have not seen a uniform definition of what constitutes "hazardous waste".

Mr. Foreclosure ~

This HHW list is from LA County but it's pretty standard from what I've seen.

Some examples of what you CAN bring to a HHW collection:

Motor oil, oil filters, brake fluid
Used antifreeze
Paint, paint thinner, turpentine
Cleaners with acid or lye
Pesticides or herbicides
Household batteries or car batteries
Pool chemicals
CRT's, old TV's, misc. electronics
Mercury thermometers or thermostats
Used Needles or Sharps (In a Sharps container or sturdy box labeled "SHARPS")
Unwanted or expired prescriptions (MORE INFO)

What you CANNOT bring to a HHW collection:

Explosives
Ammunition
Radioactive Materials
Trash
Tires
Business Waste
White Goods (stoves, fridges, etc.)
Controlled Substances



How should you prepare?

Bring the items you wish to dispose of in a sturdy box preferably in their original, labeled containers. Do not EVER mix products together. It is ILLEGAL to transport more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste in your personal vehicle. Be prepared to leave your containers. Because of permitting requirements, and the volume of people that utilize the program, items such as gasoline cans WILL NOT be returned.

We handle household hazardous waste all the time and cleanup up minor oil spills. We do NOT handle any toxic waste, explosives, radiological waste, or biological waste and don't do any type of meth lab cleanup.

An EPA permit is required for transportation of certain waste products and disposal of higher volumes than those allowed by current, normal guidelines.

I'm sure other states have their own variation of what constitutes household hazardous waste but maybe this little bit here will help.

Linda

That is a good list Linda (for LA county, CA). I presently work in 8 counties of upstate NY and they can't even agree on what is considered recyclable let alone hazardous!

In at least one of those counties it appears "who" is handling the material seems to be more important than "what" is handled. An example I will offer is asbestos (old siding, steam pipe insulation, floor tiles, etc.) which a private home owner can send out with regular garbage in a plastic bag but a contractor has to comply with much more restrictive packaging and labeling of the contents.

Thanks Linda for the list. We will be checking with our local counties, for requirements, and then consulting with Safeguard.

Well here in Georgia, we(agents/broker) have been told we have perfor the re-key and occupancy check. Then Safeguard will complete the property preservation. On Fannie Mae properties, I had no problem with the properties been clean. But for my Goodman Dean properties, it was terrible. They wouldn't cut the grass. When my vendor was cutting the grass, the HOA never called.