• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Start Here
  • Money Pit Podcast
  • Leave a Review
The Money Pit house logo

The Money Pit

Home Improvement Tips & Podcasts

  • Media Kit
  • Affiliates
  • Ask a Question
  • Spaces
    • Outdoor Living
    • Kitchens
    • Bathrooms
    • Garages & Sheds
    • Basements & Crawlspaces
    • Home Exteriors
  • Reno/Repair
    • Air Conditioning
    • Windows
    • Floors
    • Roofs & Gutters
    • Insulation
    • Lighting & Wiring
  • Popular Topics
    • Storage & Organization
    • Painting & Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Pests & Wildlife
    • Buying or Selling a Home
  • Features
    • Green Home
    • Pet Friendly
    • Kid Spaces
    • DIY
    • Quick Tips
  • Podcasts
    • The Money Pit Home Improvement Podcast
    • Money Pit Minute Podcast
    • Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast
    • Top Products Podcast
    • ProFiles Podcast
Man painting a white kitchen

Seller Hid Home Defects: Options for Sellers that Fail to Disclose Problems Before a Sale

Seller Hid Home Defects: Options for Sellers that Fail to Disclose Problems Before a Sale

GeneralBuying or Selling a HomePodcasts Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast
FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmail
The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast Logo
Leslie Segrete & Tom Kraeutler, Hosts of The Money Pit by The Hosts Leave a Comment
  • iTunes logo
  • Google Podcasts logo
  • Spotify logo
  • Chartable logo

LESLIE: Patrick in Iowa is on the line with a roofing question that concerns options for sellers that fail to disclose problems. How can we help you today?

PATRICK: OK. I bought a home; it was a for-sale-by-owner. The roof was put on about four or five years ago. And in the disclosure, he mentioned there was nothing wrong with the roof. But since moving in – now, being in Iowa, we get severe weather and I understand a couple shingles might rip off during a windstorm or something like that. But it’s literally – it’s daily, shingles are coming off.

So I patched some of the shingles but it is – it’s every time we get a wind, shingles are just blowing off. And so I ask him, “Can I have the name of the company that did the roof?” And so, I got the name and phone number and I talked to the workers that did it and they said, “We’ve been out there every single year, year after year. We told him it’s no longer covered. He has to pay for it himself.” And he – and they asked, “Didn’t he mention that in the disclosure?” And I looked through the disclosure and of course, there’s nothing in the disclosure that mentions anything it.

TOM: Right. Of course. Yeah. Wow. Sounds like you have a pretty strong case of fraud.

PATRICK: And of course, I don’t want to go down a road that is going to be months and months and months or years. But it is – it’s just one of those cases that if it’s not in the disclosure – but then I can prove that it is. I mean is there any recourse whatsoever?

TOM: Well, yeah. The recourse is to hold him legally responsible for the cost of replacing the roof. And options for sellers that fail to disclose problems is really more of a topic for an attorney than for home improvement experts like ourselves.

But I was a professional home inspector for many years. I’ve seen these situations before. And if you have a seller that outright misrepresents the condition of part of the property on the disclosure, then they should be held liable for that and in some cases, can be held liable for multiples of what the actual damage is which, in this case, is essentially going to be the cost of a new roof.

PATRICK: And it’s not just that. If I was told, then I could have just budgeted for …

TOM: Right. You could have headed it off, exactly. But it’s – some people just want to make sure – just want to misrepresent their home and try to hide all the problems. And that’s why you have professional home inspectors out there which – by the way, did you get a home inspection done, Patrick? They can help prevent having to seek options for sellers that fail to disclose problems.

PATRICK: Yes. There is a mortgage on it. Of course, the mortgage company did their inspections.

TOM: Well, no, besides the mortgage company, did you have your own, independent, professional home inspection done?

PATRICK: I did not.

TOM: Yeah. So that probably was a mistake. Because home inspectors work for you and not for the mortgage company. And a good-quality home inspector – for example, one that’s a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors – would have spent two to three hours going over that house and probably would have seen all of the repaired shingles. Because that’s something that’s actually fairly obvious to see.

So, unfortunately, you can’t focus on the past but you should try to hold the seller responsible and maybe you could take him to small-claims court as part of options for sellers that fail to disclose problems. I don’t know. Again, question for a lawyer but it sounds like you’re going to need a new roof.

PATRICK: Well, I know that it’s a metal roof that’s going to be going on, so …

TOM: OK. Alright. Well, good luck. Sorry that happened to you, Patrick. Good luck with the project, though. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

GeneralBuying or Selling a HomePodcasts Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast

Related Posts

The Money Pit Tips & Tricks text logo with lightbulb

Seller Disclosure Reduces Liability

Home Inspection Tips for Sellers

Newly built home for sale

Home Buying Tips: 5 Pitfalls to Avoid

The Money Pit Tips & Tricks text logo with lightbulb

Can a Home Inspection Help or Hurt?

Getting a House Ready for Sale

Preparing Your Home for Sale: A Comprehensive Guide

home staging, open house, selling a house

Home Staging Mistakes To Steer Clear Of

Related Podcasts

The Money Pit Podcast

Getting Rid of Bedbugs, Top Products from the National Hardware Show, and the One Thing You Should Do Before Moving Into a New Home

How to Decorate a Kid’s Space to Grow as Fast as They Do #0430181

The Money Pit Podcast

Solutions for Soggy Yards #0509161

The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast Logo

How to Handle Deteriorated Composite Siding When Selling a Home

The Money Pit Podcast

How to Take the Work Out of Lawn Mowing, Prevent a Common Type of Toilet Leak, Outdoor Spring Checkup Checklist and more

Termite damage in a wood door frame

Termites Found When Purchasing Home: What to Do Next

FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmail

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

Trending Posts

Get Ready for the Game with The Money Pit’s $1,000 Tailgate Treasures Sweepstakes!

Attic flooring added to increase storage space

How to Floor Your Attic for Storage Without Wrecking Your Roof

Best Garage Floor: Tiles, Mat or Paint?

Garage Heater Dyna-Glo 30,000 BTU Natural Gas Blue Flame Vent Free Wall Heater, White

Best Heaters for a Garage: Forced Air, Infrared or Portable?

How to Get Rid of Thousand-Leggers Without Getting Grossed Out

Ask Us Anything

Ask A Question

Favorite Posts

Attic flooring added to increase storage space

How to Floor Your Attic for Storage Without Wrecking Your Roof

How to Get Rid of Thousand-Leggers Without Getting Grossed Out

Best Garage Floor: Tiles, Mat or Paint?

Dryer vent on outside of building

Controlling Dryer Lint Outside | Video

Popular Podcasts

Repair Crumbling Cinder Block

Electric Meter

Service Entry Cable and Electric Meter: Who is responsible for repair?

dirt to use around house foundation

Type of Dirt to Use Around House Foundation

What Smells Like Burning Rubber in My Home?

Newsletter

Get weekly updates with the latest tips and tricks to save money in your home.

As Us Anything

Ask A Question

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • About
  • Media Kit
  • Partners
  • Posts
  • Endorsement Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy & Solution
  • Radio Stations

Copyright © 2001–2023 · The Money Pit · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Ask A Question