"The title search should have revealed the previous owners and the nature of their business, which should have been a red flag for environmental issues." - JeffT
Who did the title search? A home schooled newboy Bethelite? The Watchtower lawyers can't be that stupid or are they? At the slightest hint of possible pollution, Watchtower should have reconsidered their options for purchase. At the very least, they should have purchased some time of 'pollution insurance' or required the seller to purchase the insurance to cover any unforeseen difficulties with the property. It seems that the Governing Body(tm) and their team of helpers and legal experts operate from a very naïve and childlike world view.
"Pollution insurance can be a valuable risk management tool to limit potential environmental liability. It can supplement the traditional methods of allocating risk in a real estate transaction, including proper due diligence , representations and warranties, indemnifications, placing funds in escrow and reducing the purchase price. .... the parties my choose to purchase pollution insurance to transfer risk of certain liabilities to an independent third party insurer."-Gregg A. Nathanson, ESQ.
Maybe I am way off base . Are their any lawyers or commercial real estate experts posting here that can comment on this?