Water Damage in Basement: Is Seller Responsible?

A: In addition to the problem of cleaning up from this mess, another issue you have to face is proving that the sellers knew this was an ongoing issue. The fact that your inspector called your attention to it and told you to ask for a written disclosure about water issues may help you going forward.

However, you also have to be prepared for the fact that this is the result of a major one-time water issue that just wasn't fixed. It's possible the sellers thought they had repaired the problem, but didn't. It's also possible they never cleaned up after the mess had happened.

Did you get a copy of a receipt from the company that the sellers hired to make the repairs? You might want to call and ask for this, and then follow up with the company to find out what was actually done.

Did you do a final walk-through of the property before closing? If you did, did you notice the mold or insect issue? If so, you should have brought up the issue again, at the closing. You could have delayed the closing or held back monies until you had a chance to look further into the issue.

In addition to chatting with the seller and securing the number of the company that assisted them, you should also talk to a real estate attorney or a real estate litigator who specializes in disclosure issues who can help you figure out your legal options.

Finally, many home inspectors will suggest to their buyers that they should investigate certain issues further. In some cases, an inspector's recommendation can be ignored but in others it's essential. But in any case, when an inspector raises the issue, it should be a huge red flag for the potential buyer.

Certainly, if the inspector saw a problem, the inspector should have told you about the problem in addition to telling you to get more information about it.

As a suggestion for other buyers that may face a similar recommendation in a home inspection, the buyer should stop at that point and ask more questions. What problem has the inspector spotted? What raised the red flag? What could be the cause of the problem? What's the worst case scenario caused by that potential problem? What's the worst case scenario for the cost to repair that problem?

If the buyer has that information, the buyer at least can have a better understanding as to the issue involved. Some inspectors flag these comments in bold letters, others mark these items as urgent and still others merely make a passing reference to the potential problem.

In some inspections, it can be difficult or impossible to find the cause of a problem without cutting into walls or performing other invasive tests on a home. Once the inspector has flagged a potential problem, the potential buyer should be on notice that the problem could end up being minor or it could be a major headache and money pit issue.

If your seller knew of the water problem, failed to disclose the problem to you but was required under your state laws to disclose this type of problem, you might have a case against the seller. But it will be up to you, in many cases, to prove that the seller knew of the problem, failed to fix it, failed to disclose it to you and it was a big deal.

Once you know what the costs to repair the issue are and if you sit down with an attorney to explore your options, you will have a better idea as to whether you can expect to go after the seller or not.

NOTE: Ilyce R. Glink's latest ebooks are "The Clutter Collector: How to Get Rid of Clutter Everywhere in Your Home" and "How to Save $50 a Month," which are available at her new, all-video website, www.expertrealestatetips.net. If you have questions, you can call her radio show toll-free (800-972-8255) any Sunday, from 11a-1p EST. You can also write to Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, IL 60022 or contact her through her website, www.thinkglink.com. ©2008 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.