FARGO, ND (KXNET) — A Minnesota-based real estate company was sentenced on December 3 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Alice R. Senechal for failing to provide important information about a home it sold in Hillsboro, North Dakota. Valley Property Partners LLC (House Dudes) has to pay $4,274.78 in restitution and $10,000 in fines, serve one-year probation, and perform 50 hours of community service. The sentencing comes after the company failed to provide a homebuyer with lead-based paint disclosures that are required by the Toxic Substances Control Act. Valley Property Partners LLC also has to include a notice about the harmful effects and required obligations regarding lead-based paint disclosures on its website. In October 2019, the company sold a pre-1978 home in Hillsboro to a purchaser and failed to provide the required lead-based paint disclosures, a violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act. PHOTOS: ‘Light Pillars’ tower over Bismarck Airport Then, in 2022, medical personnel diagnosed two kids who were living in the home with elevated blood lead levels. Later in the year, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) inspected the home and received positive results for lead-based paint in multiple areas, including the children's playroom. "The Toxic Substance Control Act protects kids and homebuyers, and while most sellers make the required disclosures in good faith, there can be serious health impacts on children when the law is violated," explained U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider. "As this case shows, there are also legal consequences for the violators." "Childhood lead exposure remains a significant public health concern and the EPA is committed to reducing lead exposures among children, who are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead," added Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division in North Dakota, Lance Ehring. "The actions of the defendant in this case resulted in two childhood lead exposures, which could have been prevented if the defendant had followed the law." Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW