Post by urbancowgirl on Jan 28, 2013 18:23:00 GMT -5
I live in Texas. Here, the seller's disclosure asks whether the seller is aware of "any death on the property except for those deaths caused by natural causes, suicide, or accident unrelated to the condition of the property." Of course, if the death happened a long time ago, the current owner might not know about it.
Post by explorer2001 on Jan 28, 2013 18:42:39 GMT -5
I would think the buyer should know if it impacts the potential living conditions in the home (biohazard from biological remains nor properly cleaned up, chemical contaminants like from a meth house, body parts buried in the yard, etc) otherwise I agree buyer beware. If I didn't live in such a new area I don't think death from natural causes would bother me. As it is I refused to buy in a certain neighborhood because I couldn't remember the address of the sleepwalker killer who killed a classmates mom when I was in HS. That would freak me out.
In ohio it is not required unless it is a murder and specifically asked..My First husband past away in a house that I sold. I didn't have to disclose. However, when I met the new owners at a neighborhood party because I was still friends with the neighobors, They askedthe full story. They had heard awful rumors which made it much worse than it was. I told them the story. I don't think it is necessary as pp stated lots of sad things happen in houses.
Would I want to have to disclose it if I was selling after a death? No.
I have a really weird thing about blood. One time in high school there was a really bad fight in one of my classrooms. I couldn't stand being in that room. I sat as far away from that area as I could. I called my mom and had her check me out of school and I promptly threw away those clothes for fear of blood being on them. Knowing that my living room was once a bloody mess would drive me crazy. Literally crazy.
Am I missing something? Why should I care if someone died in a house I wated to buy? Obviously the house isn't being shown when it's still a crime scene, so as long as everything's cleaned up what's the big deal?
Post by MixedBerryJam on Jan 28, 2013 21:26:56 GMT -5
I would only see the obligation to disclose a death if the death had a potential impact on the physical structure (so therefore on the value/future value), I think: all I can come up with is a CO death, which might indicate ventilation troubles that would need repair, or something along those lines. Kind of similar to how meth houses, even if they're not meth houses anymore, still have potential to affect the home value because of meth lingering in the environment (and the clientele who didn't get the former owner's change of address announcement!) Does that make sense? I am not a night person. 94 year old grandma dies in her sleep, no.
Would I want to have to disclose it if I was selling after a death? No.
I have a really weird thing about blood. One time in high school there was a really bad fight in one of my classrooms. I couldn't stand being in that room. I sat as far away from that area as I could. I called my mom and had her check me out of school and I promptly threw away those clothes for fear of blood being on them. Knowing that my living room was once a bloody mess would drive me crazy. Literally crazy.
That is not normal. How you ever tried to get help for it?
I would only see the obligation to disclose a death if the death had a potential impact on the physical structure (so therefore on the value/future value), I think: all I can come up with is a CO death, which might indicate ventilation troubles that would need repair, or something along those lines. Kind of similar to how meth houses, even if they're not meth houses anymore, still have potential to affect the home value because of meth lingering in the environment (and the clientele who didn't get the former owner's change of address announcement!) Does that make sense? I am not a night person. 94 year old grandma dies in her sleep, no.
This I agree with---bad ventilation and caused carbon dioxide poisoning, car crashed into the structure and killed someone inside (structural damage), the garage door was unsafe and came crashing down, killing someone, etc.
Post by basilosaurus on Jan 29, 2013 5:12:15 GMT -5
Adamantly no.
My mil was afraid to die at home with hospice (what many feel is an acceptable reason) because of laws requiring disclosures of any deaths. This seriously impacted her treatment imo.
Even if that were an exemption, wtf does an intentional death have to so with a home? If my mil od'd on morphine would that make the suicide acceptable? How would a violent death affect the great kitchen layout?
I don't think so. I wouldn't have a problem living in a house that someone died in, whether it be of natural causes or murder/suicide, as long as it wasn't a loved one. Even if it was a loved one, if they were elderly and died peacefully at home I wouldn't have a problem remaining in the house.
No, I don't think so though if a potential buyer asked then the truth should be told. I'm not bothered by this that much--like I said, I think I'm more bothered by homes that were used in the production of child porn, the site of child sexual or otherwise abuse, other torterous events, etc than a one time death. But who knows what goes on behind closed doors so I think it shouldn't be law. It's not usually the victimizers that pay the price of the house tanking.
Would I want to have to disclose it if I was selling after a death? No.
I have a really weird thing about blood. One time in high school there was a really bad fight in one of my classrooms. I couldn't stand being in that room. I sat as far away from that area as I could. I called my mom and had her check me out of school and I promptly threw away those clothes for fear of blood being on them. Knowing that my living room was once a bloody mess would drive me crazy. Literally crazy.
That is not normal. How you ever tried to get help for it?
This was literally the worst fight many people have ever seen. Blood was flying all over the room. One guy left in an ambulance and had to have his face reconstructed. the other kid ended up going back to jail. I'm not going to sit at a computer that might have old blood in the keyboard. I dont know how well that room was cleaned. I'm also not going to try to scrub someone else's blood off of my clothes. I don't care if all the viruses should be dead by then. I'm not touching it. I dont care if it is fresh or 200 years old. I don't think it is that abnormal to not want to come in contact with someone else's blood.
I vote no. I know the ins and outs of what is required to clean that up, and it should be adequate to protect you from anything beyond the ick factor. It won't make you sick or hurt you to have had someone die in the house. I mean... Everyone dies. Gotta do it somewhere.
Also it would place a horrific burden on the family.