TLDR
JMS Companies, operating under the name Choice Property Management, systematically ignored federal safety laws designed to protect families from toxic lead exposure. For nearly five years, the company leased dozens of older homes in Indiana without informing tenants of known lead-based paint hazards or providing mandatory safety information.
During a renovation project in South Bend, the lead loving firm further endangered residents and workers by using high-speed power tools that scattered lead dust, failing to use protective plastic sheeting, and operating without the required federal certifications or trained safety personnel.
This pattern of behavior prioritized rapid leasing and low-cost maintenance over the brain health and physical safety of vulnerable community members.
Profit Over Public Health in America’s Heartland
Lead is a silent neurotoxin which causes permanent brain damage, especially in children, yet its presence is often treated as a mere paperwork hurdle by corporate landlords. Between late 2018 and mid-2023, JMS Companies demonstrated a consistent disregard for the laws meant to keep this poison out of family homes.
By failing to disclose lead hazards in 26 different lease agreements and conducting hazardous renovations without basic safety equipment, the company effectively turned its rental portfolio into a public health risk.
This case illustrates the core of neoliberal capitalism: a deregulatory system where safety regulations are viewed as obstacles to revenue.
When a property management firm skips the cost of lead-safe training, specialized HEPA vacuums, and protective barriers, they’re directly converting the health of their tenants into corporate savings. And from there, corporate savings into corporate profits.
A Catalog of Misconduct
Federal investigators documented 83 separate violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The majority of these counts involve the company’s refusal to provide “target housing” tenants with the federally mandated lead warning statements and safety pamphlets. In many instances, the company failed to even include a simple statement disclosing whether they knew lead paint was present in the homes.
The corporate misconduct reached a critical point during a 2022 renovation at a South Bend home.
There, workers used high-speed sanding and grinding machines that pulverize lead paint into breathable dust without using required exhaust controls. They failed to cover furniture, rugs, or floors with plastic sheeting, and neglected to even post warning signs to tell neighbors and residents to stay away from the toxic work area.
Timeline of Corporate Misconduct and EPA Enforcement
The following table outlines key moments in the documented history of these violations, showing a years-long pattern of non-compliance across various properties.
| Event | Date | Location |
| Early documented lease violation | August 1, 2019 | South Bend, IN |
| Repeated lease disclosure failure | July 21, 2020 | South Bend, IN |
| Ongoing failure to provide safety info | August 10, 2021 | South Bend, IN |
| Commencement of hazardous renovation | November 4, 2022 | Twyckenham Drive |
| Final documented lease violation | May 15, 2023 | Mishawaka, IN |
| Federal settlement and penalty filed | July 1, 2024 | Region 5 EPA |
Regulatory Loopholes and Corporate Impunity
The company operated for years without a firm certification from the Environmental Protection Agency. This lack of oversight allowed them to perform renovations for compensation without the required training or accreditation. In a deregulated environment, corporations often treat compliance as an optional branding exercise. By avoiding the costs of certification and certified renovators, JMS Companies gained a competitive advantage over law-abiding businesses at the direct expense of the community.
Profit-Maximization at All Costs
Every safety measure the company ignored represents a cost-saving measure for the firm. Choosing not to use taped-down plastic sheeting, neglecting to seal off air ducts, and skipping the post-renovation cleaning verification are all ways to speed up projects and reduce labor costs. Under the logic of profit-maximization, the immediate financial benefit to the company outweighs the long-term, devastating medical costs that lead poisoning imposes on the families living in these properties.
The Public Health Fallout
The impact of lead dust is catastrophic. When lead-based paint is disturbed through high-speed sanding or improper handling, it creates microscopic particles that are easily inhaled or ingested. For children, this results in developmental delays, behavioral issues, and reduced IQ. By failing to contain waste and debris during the Twyckenham Drive project, the company risked contaminating the surrounding neighborhood, turning a single home renovation into a potential local environmental disaster.
Corporate Accountability Fails the Public
The outcome of this case highlights the systemic failure to hold corporate actors truly accountable. Despite 83 counts of safety violations over several years, the company agreed to a civil penalty of only $20,000. For a large property management firm, this amount is often viewed as a simple cost of doing business rather than a deterrent. The fine averages out to roughly $240 per violation. And I don’t need to tell you that it’s a pittance compared to the lifelong costs of medical care and lost potential for a child poisoned by lead.
This Is the System Working as Intended
This case is a textbook example of how modern economic systems prioritize capital over people. The legal framework allows companies to settle for minimal amounts without admitting wrongdoing, while the harm remains embedded in the community. As long as profit is structurally prioritized over safety, communities will continue to bear the burden of corporate greed.
The consent agreement can be viewed on this following EPA link in case you want to fact check me: https://yosemite.epa.gov/OA/RHC/EPAAdmin.nsf/Filings/E00D1DC80314D36E85258B4E006879EA/$File/TSCA-05-2024-0010_CAFO_JMSCompaniesLLCdbaChoicePropertyManagement_MishawakaIndiana_29PGS.pdf
💡 Explore Corporate Misconduct by Category
Corporations harm people every day — from wage theft to pollution. Learn more by exploring key areas of injustice.
- 💀 Product Safety Violations — When companies risk lives for profit.
- 🌿 Environmental Violations — Pollution, ecological collapse, and unchecked greed.
- 💼 Labor Exploitation — Wage theft, worker abuse, and unsafe conditions.
- 🛡️ Data Breaches & Privacy Abuses — Misuse and mishandling of personal information.
- 💵 Financial Fraud & Corruption — Lies, scams, and executive impunity.
