I would like to sell my house. In the house, a family member fatally stabbed one of the previous owners. Should I inform potential owners?
We asked Keystone Law’s residential property partner, Johnny Drysdale, to respond to this question.
According to Johnny, openness is essential when purchasing or disposing of real estate.
Serious legal repercussions may result from misleading omissions. According to him, the law is clear: sellers are required to give customers all the information they need to make an informed choice.
According to Johnny, lawyers must strike a “balancing act” between their obligation to disclose and maintaining confidentiality.
“The solicitor must carefully consider their legal obligations if a seller shares sensitive information about the property, such as a defect in the state and condition of the property or, say, a murder that has taken place in the property, and requests that it not be passed on to the buyer,” he says.
Maintaining secrecy while upholding transparency can occasionally lead to difficult situations.
