Maryland Property Owners Initiate $2 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Snake Infestation
What are my legal options if I discover a severe pest infestation in my new home?
A new home purchase is one of the most important and sizable investments a family can make – and builders and/or sellers are bound by Maryland law to disclose known major issues with the property. In the event a seller passes a property off as safe and inhabitable – and, in fact, it is overrun with dangerous and destructive pests – that seller could face serious liability from the new owner.
Take, for instance, an ongoing issue facing an Annapolis-area family having recently filed a lawsuit against not only the previous owner of their snake-infested new home, but the real estate agent (and next-door-neighbor) who also warranted the property was in tip-top shape for a family with children. According to allegations, shortly after moving in to their dream home, the family began discovering one snake after the other – some as long as seven feet. After an inspection by an experienced exterminator, it was determined that the house was indeed infested to the point it was no longer safe for children.
What’s more, the facts of the lawsuit reveal that the seller and realtor possibly knew of the snake problem and failed to disclose the information to the potential buyers in the course of the sale of the property. In addition to reports from neighbors that a snake problem had plagued the previous owners, the buyers allege that the realtor lied to them about the problem – stating that the previous renters were “gypsies” who “photoshopped” pictures of snakes in their home to avoid paying rent.
In total, the family is seeking more than $2 million in damages through litigation – which sounds about accurate given the egregious nature of the alleged misconduct of the prior owners and realtor involved.
In a residential real estate lawsuit like this one, buyers who have been defrauded or otherwise induced to purchase property based on misrepresentations may be able to not only undo the sale after settlement, but could obtain additional compensation for the costs and expenses associated with their inconvenience – including costs to rent a replacement home, money spent rectifying the problem or any other costs incidental to the situation.
If you are facing a difficult situation involving a recent residential or commercial property purchase, please do not hesitate to contact the Bethesda and Rockville, Maryland and Washington, DC real estate lawyers at Longman & Van Grack, LLC today: (301) 291-5027.
