Note: The DearEsq free 'ask a lawyer' site is offered as a free informational service to the public and is not intended as legal advice. Laws vary from state-to-state, and in addition every situation is unique, and relevant facts may not be known. The answer to the question posed below may not apply to in your state or to your situation. For legal advice in your state and your situation you should consult with an attorney in your state who is familiar with the rules and laws in your state.
“We bought our house last year. Recently we’ve noticed little black flies and we have had a plumber come out. He did a sewer line test and found that the pipe under the house is deteriorating. Our home owners is not covering this since it is under the house and they said that they do not cover detoriation of the pipes. I was just wondering if there is anything that we can do to the sellers, the plumber said that this didn’t happen over night it took years to happen.
Thank you for any advice you can provide.”It certainly would not hurt to consult with a local attorney, just to see what rights you may have in your jurisdiction. However, the most likely claim you would have against the seller is for failure to disclose a known problem with the property. This, of course, would imply being able to prove that the prior owners knew about the problem.
Question: Failure to disclose actions can also potentially implicate other parties, such as the real estate agents, home inspectors, etc. Whether this is the case in your situation would be something to review with your attorney, as well.
