When a person sells a home they're required to notify the buyer of any known problems with the property. If the seller doesn't know about problems that might exist they're not liable for them. With the exception of probate sales, a seller must provide a Transfer Disclosure Statement, or T-D-S. This statement is designed to allow the seller to communicate anything that may be of interest to 'a reasonable person.' This isn't limited to facts about the structure itself, but also should include pertinent information about the neighborhood and other relevant concerns. Likewise, if a death has ever occurred on the property, the seller is obligated to make that known as well. The purpose of the T-D-S is to make the sale as fair as possible so that conflicts don't arise later in the process when disputes would be more difficult to settle. For more information about the disclosure process, contact a real estate attorney in your area.
