I recently bought a house and it turns out the roof has a leak. What can I do to get money from the past owner

Question

The realtor told me we could take care of problems after we got in. She only let us look at the house once, stupid me, but said it could all be taken care of later. Now she says look at the purchase agreement and won't help at all.

Answer 1

Where is the leak and how bad is it?

You need to go along your roof and nail down any poped up nails this will make it leak..

If the leak isnt that bad you can gently pull up old singles and replace with new matching ones..its very simple to do?

Did they know it leaked when you bought the house?
If so and you can prove that they said they would have it fixed then they are responsible for fixing it..You need to go over your papers very carefully and look at every word because they are good for putting little words in that will void anything..

Answer 2

Sounds like you did not hvae very good representation from your Realtor. As others have stated, check any disclosures that you signed when purchasing the home. I had a situation with at client who purchased a home, (and a home warranty) had an inspection, but the central air couldn't be tested because it was winter time here and it can cause problems to test CA in the winter. Well when the summertime came, the unit did not work. The previous owner produced records that it had been regularly serviced and he knew of no issues. My broker worked it out between himself, the home warranty company and the company that had serviced the unit so that the new owners did not have to pay a dime to have a new unit installed. All you doubters, there are good and honorable Realtors and Brokers out there!

Anyway, I would escalate the issue with the Broker of the agency that your Realtor works for if you are getting no help from the actual Realtor. A Realtor's job isn't over once the paycheck is received! We still have a moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to assist you.

If you would like to have a more detailed "conversation", you should be able to email me through this answer, and I would be glad to discuss further.

Answer 3

I'm not an attorney. But if the roof is in bad shape and there were previous moisture stains on the ceiling when you bought the house you might inquire of the seller why this condition wasn't stated on the disclosure form. A home inspector or roofing contractor might be able to tell you if the leak is an old problem or if simple repairs can fix the leak. But if the roof is trashed inform the crooked Realtor and the seller that roofs are cheaper than attorneys. Always get a Home Inspection and never let the Realtor pick the Inspector. Is it any wonder Realtors have to be finger printed.

Answer 4

Well, this probably depends on the "warranties" he made during the listing and closing process. In CA, there's a list of things a seller must disclose if there are known issues with the property. Did the seller tell you the roof was iffy? Did you buy the house "as-is"? Check with the real estate agent who represented you and he should provide some service in helping you out.

Answer 5

Does your purchase agreement have a disclosure clause? If the leak looks like it has been there awhile (discoloration, rotting, etc) then I would contact the people you made the purchase through, realtor or whatever the case may be. Good luck.

Answer 6

Unfortunately it is too late. You need to ensure that any home you are buying is free of all faults - a little hard when it is a roof leak - unless there are telltale signs, eg: water marks etc.

Answer 7

It will depend on the laws of your state but in california there is responsibility of the seller to disclose relevant information. In addition most home buyers in california will have an inspection firm inspect the property. In california we have a small claims court that allows redress up to 5,000.

Answer 8

You closed? It's your problem now.

Answer 9

Sue! Sue! Sue!

Answer 10

caveat emptor