I recently spent around $1500 on inspections for a house that seemed perfect—great location, beautiful single story layout. However, during our visit, we noticed signs of water damage in the bathroom and kitchen. When we asked the listing agent, we were told it was just from 'excessive mopping.' We decided to put in an offer which was accepted, and proceeded with inspections including mold, which revealed active black mold. The seller offered a credit for mold remediation, but we chose to walk away since we were concerned about what else might be behind the walls. I suspect the listing agent may not have fully disclosed the mold situation to us. Can we claim reimbursement for the inspection fees since the seller should've disclosed any known issues? How can I prove they knew about the mold before we made an offer? Thanks!
3 Answers
Unfortunately, it sounds like you're not going to get that money back. It's great you avoided buying a house with black mold, so at least you saved yourself from that headache! Shouldn't the inspectors get paid for their work? They did provide the service you hired them for, after all.
I get where you're coming from, but asking for the seller to cover your inspection costs is a bit of a stretch. The inspections were meant to protect you, and they did their job by uncovering the mold. Instead, consider negotiating with the seller for better terms if you'd still want the house, or just chalk it up to a learning experience.
Once the sellers are aware of the mold, they are legally supposed to disclose that to any future buyers. You're in a tricky spot, but if you can prove they knew about the issue and didn't say anything, you might have a case. However, it could be difficult to show that they knowingly hid information from you.