If you are buying a home that was built after January 1st 2011, I'm pleased
to announce that your home is required by law to have fire sprinklers installed and active. It is obvious that fire sprinklers have the capacity to save lives as well as minimize damage to a property in case of a fire. Ofcourse, if sprinkler systems are ever activated you can kiss your personal belongings goodbye since many electronic devices may cease functioning once wet.
A recent article I read connected the development of homes with product liability, and this is an interesting subject because the laws are applicable to new homes; however, what do you do if your home was built before January 1st 2011. I'm guessing that if you're reading this post that it's very likely that your home was built before that date. Thus by new regulations if you don't have sprinklers in your home, you are at risk in case of a fire and your home is now below standard.
What to do... what to do?
It seems reasonable that home owners begin equipping their properties with sprinklers, but some may not have the resources available to get the job done.
In either case, home builders will be talking about this going into the year since according to product liability law, this can serve as a problem.
According to Cornell University’s Legal Information Institute:
“Products liability refers to the liability of any or all parties along the chain of manufacture of any product for damage caused by that product. This includes the manufacturer of component parts (at the top of the chain), an assembling manufacturer, the wholesaler, and the retail store owner (at the bottom of the chain). Products containing inherent defects that cause harm to a consumer of the product, or someone to whom the product was loaned, given, etc., are the subjects of products liability suits. While products are generally thought of as tangible personal property, products liability has stretched that definition to include intangibles (gas), naturals (pets), real estate (house), and writings (navigational charts)."
Thus, who will be to blame in the value chain of developing a home during 2011 and beyond?
Time will tell how the new regulations will affect future home builder industry development.
This article got inspired by Maria Figueroa's recent article:
http://nfpa.typepad.com/firesprinklerinitiative/2011/01/product-liabili…
Let me know what you think about this new fire sprinkler regulation...