Pedofile next door, disclosure laws?

[coastal]

I've got a home for sale and I just found out there is a registered sex offender living next door.


Argh. Of course I will disclose it but how am I ever going to sell this house ???

[ResaleBroker]

In Arizona:

By law, sellers are not obligated to disclose that the
property is or has been: (1) the site of a natural death, suicide,
homicide, or any other crime classified as a felony; (2) owned or
occupied by a person exposed to HIV, or diagnosed as having
AIDS or any other disease not known to be transmitted through
common occupancy of real estate; or (3) located in the vicinity of
a sex offender. However, the law does not protect a seller who
makes an intentional misrepresentation. For example, if you are
asked whether there has been a death on the property and you
know that there was such a death, you should not answer “no” or
“I don’t know”; instead you should either answer truthfully or
respond that you are not legally required to answer the question.

Here is an article you might find of interest: http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/2005...edoffender.htm

[pcdoc]

You personally have a home for sale or you listed a home for sale?

In either case, consult an attorney immediately.

BTW, here's a link for Delaware Sex Offender Registration.

http://www.klaaskids.org/st-del.htm

[Goknights]

it's not required to disclose in Florida. It is public information here..

[nbeaman]

We are not required to disclose in Wisconsin either. when i get asked i direct whoever to the state site. Its also in print in most of our contracts.

[els]

Ick...how could you not disclose? Whether it is the law or not, I could not let a family with children buy that house just because they didn't think to look on a website. If they choose to buy after disclosure then it would be out of my hands.

[coastal]

I feel the same way. I disclose even if it's not required.

I could not live with myself If I sold the home and something happened to one of the children.

I was able to find a buyer who did not care

[els]

You sold the home without compromising your ethics ...good for you!

[james.ash]

Congratulations on the sale. I just wanted to add a post script here.

This is a question that no one should ever struggle with. DISCLOSE EVERYTHING, whether you are legally required to do so or not. If you think Buyer's may not be interested in a property because of one questionable issue, you are probably correct. No Real Estate Professional should ever withold this type of information, it puts you in the unenviable position of second guessing yourself and possibly creating a hostile customer who will sully your reputation by giving an unsatisfied account of your transaction to anyone and everyone willing to listen.

You did the righ thing

[hammybee]

In my state, there is no requirement to disclose a SP in the vicinity. There is no way to prove the seller or his/her agent knew.

In my state, buyer agents have had board troubles arizing from disclosing such information because it potentially stigmitizes a property.

And generally speaking, local agents know and don't show the property, which tends to be listed with an out of area agent.

Am I the only one who thinks one day the Fair Housing Act will be ammended to create protection for SP? Nothing will surprise me.