Sellers Responsible For Recalled Furnace In Sold Home?

Q: We sold our townhouse in early August. Two days ago, our agent advised us she had received a letter recalling the gas furnace.

Although the gas company that checked out the gas furnace in July (a month before closing) and found the furnace to be working properly, are we responsible at all for the repairs or replacement of the furnace?

A: If a product is recalled, typically the company that manufactures it will repair the item or replace it. There may also be some cash involved to reimburse owners who had to shell out to get the item fixed.

Depending on what your contract says, this might be your responsibility, but I’m guessing it will fall to the buyers to sort out. You didn’t know the gas furnace was being recalled, and it was checked out by a responsible third party. The buyers should pursue reimbursement, remuneration or replacement from the gas furnace manufacturer.

For more details, consult your real estate attorney.