When someone sells you a home in Florida, that individual has a legal obligation to let you know if certain conditions exist. Called disclosure requirements, your seller may face legal repercussions if he or she fails to inform you about certain conditions that might exist on the home you wish to purchase.
According to Florida Realtors, a seller must tell you the following about a property so that you may make an educated decision about whether to buy it.
Whether there are material facts impacting property value
The seller must tell you about any material facts he or she is aware of that might impact the value of the home. This includes information about the residence that may not be visible to the naked eye. The seller may tell you either verbally or in writing about these material facts. Please note that, under Florida law, this does not include information about any deaths that may have occurred within a particular home.
Whether there are pending code enforcement actions
A seller also has a legal obligation to inform you about any pending code enforcement actions involving the property you are thinking about buying. They must submit this information in writing and include copies of the pleadings or notices relating to the enforcement action. Sellers that fail to do this run the risk of facing fraud charges.
Florida home sellers also have disclosure obligations when it comes to the presence of radon gas or endangered species on the property. They also must share information about whether the property owner must pay any homeowner’s association fees, among other disclosure requirements.
