QUESTION
There was a murder committed in the house I purchased that was not disclosed to me. Can I sue?
Asked on Oct 09th, 2024 on Divorce - California
More details to this question:
I was recently informed of a murder that occurred in the home I purchased by my neighbor. I looked up the information to confirm this and found this information to be true. This has brought major fear and mental health issues on my wife, my daughter and I. Not to mention to find out this murder here took place on our wedding anniversary. I am extremely angered by this situation and want whom ever responsible for this to pay. I’ve done a little research on the law about disclosing murders and or deaths that happened on a property before it is sold to the buyer in California if they happened within a 3 year period before the property is sold is said to be the law. And this murder was committed on the property just under that 3 year period. What should I do and who should I contact to file a lawsuit against the party responsible for not disclosing this fact. I definitely would have had second thoughts about purchasing this property if I would have known and would not have bought this home
1 ANSWER
Yes, in California, sellers have a legal duty to disclose if a murder occurred in the house. This was established in the case of Reed v. King (1983). In this case, the court ruled that sellers must disclose facts that materially affect the value or desirability of the property, including non-physical defects like a history of violent crime. The court emphasized that such information is not readily observable by the buyer and is known only to the seller
Reed v King, 145 Cal. App. 3d 261 (1983)
Answered on Oct 10th, 2024 at 4:45 PM