Section 3746.27 | Exempting fiduciary or trustee.
(A) A fiduciary or trustee who acquires ownership or control of property without having owned, operated, or participated in the management of the property prior to acquiring ownership or control of it is not liable for the costs of conducting a voluntary action in a civil action brought under section 3746.23 of the Revised Code in connection with a voluntary action undertaken at the property or for the costs of identifying or remediating a release or threatened release of hazardous substances or petroleum at or upon the property in a civil action otherwise brought under the Revised Code or common law of this state, provided that both of the following conditions apply:
(1) No action or omission of the fiduciary or trustee constituting willful or wanton misconduct or intentionally tortious conduct caused, contributed to, or exacerbated a release or threatened release of hazardous substances or petroleum at or upon the property;
(2) After so acquiring ownership or control of the property, the fiduciary or trustee conducts or causes to be conducted all activities occurring at the property not related to the identification or remediation of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances or petroleum at or upon the property in compliance with the applicable requirements under Chapters 3704., 3714., 3734., 3737., 3750., 3751., 6109., and 6111. of the Revised Code and rules adopted under those chapters.
(B) Such a fiduciary or trustee who, after so acquiring ownership or control of property, conducts or causes to be conducted all such nonremedial activities at the property in compliance with the applicable requirements under those chapters and rules is not required to comply with any provisions of those chapters and rules pertaining to the identification or remediation of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances or petroleum at or upon the property and shall not be subject to the issuance of an enforcement order, or a civil action for injunctive relief, under any of those chapters requiring the identification or remediation of any release or threatened release of hazardous substances or petroleum at or upon the property.
(C) Nothing in this section precludes the filing of claims against the assets that constitute the estate or corpus of the trust held by the fiduciary or the filing of claims under section 3746.23 of the Revised Code for the costs of conducting a voluntary action at the property or the filing of claims for the costs of remediation under other provisions of the Revised Code or common law of this state against the fiduciary or trustee in its representative capacity.
(D)(1) This section does not create, and shall not be construed as creating, a new cause of action against or substantive legal right against a fiduciary or trustee.
(2) This section does not affect, and shall not be construed as affecting, any immunities from civil liability or defenses established by another section of the Revised Code or available at common law to which a fiduciary or trustee may be entitled under circumstances not covered by this section.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 28, 1994 – Senate Bill 221 - 120th General Assembly [ View September 28, 1994 Version ]