This just came to me by way of email.
Hypothetical question.
Assume a house burned down and a firefighter died a few days later from his injuries.
Same for a contractor falling from the roof or any other work related accident on the property.
What are the consequences regarding the disclosures of a subsequent sale?Please do not discuss the specifics of a recent event/specific house, I’m only interested in the “what if that happens to my own house” – such as
does this qualify for a death in said property?
As a Realtor, would you advise to check or not the box?
How would you disclose this information?What are the others aspects that you’d like you warn home owners (such as hiring only fully insured roof workers)?
Thanks
My advice: Disclose, Disclose, Disclose. If I know about anything pertaining to a property, I’m going to disclose that. The last thing anybody needs is someone to move into a home, decide to Google their address and find all kinds of information they never knew existed on the property.
I think this opens up the forum to a larger debate as to whether a death that came later from an accident on the property could be classified as a death “on” the property. I leave that to attorneys, but would certainly disclose any and all pertinent information. You see the pattern here? Disclose, disclose, disclose!
–If There Is S&M And Leather Sex One Unit Below, You Might Want To Let Buyers Know [theFrontSteps]
I think disclosing the fire or any other major structural event is critical. Disclosing deaths related to a property? WTF? Why would you even mention such a thing unless it was a crime? The standard disclosure statement on the seller disclosure package asks whether crimes have occurred on the property within a specified timeframe. There is zero reason to disclose whether your grandmother passed in her sleep in the guest room. If a buyer cares enough about such an issues they should ask. If asked, well, then, it probably makes sense to disclose or say no comment. Should you also disclose that racoons sometimes dive in your trash, or your neighbor has a pooping cat that wanders into your yard? It’s important to disclose known issues with a home that could impact its “lot” or “structural” value.
PS: I’m not a lawyer