Asbestos not disclosed by seller

[KarenCT]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Connecticut

My son purchased his 1st home in Nov. 2010. Seller's disclosure statement indicated no knowledge of asbestos on property. My son recently discovered by accident that there is asbestos siding under the vinyl siding. The vinyl was installed by the sellers prior to the house being put up for sale. The sellers are investors who have sold many homes as "flips" in the area (have even written a book on how to flip houses.) We cannot believe that they did not know there was asbestos siding on the home. I would like to know if my son would have any recourse here, what type of attorney he would need to pursue this, and what he should be looking for relative to compensation. He never would have bought the home had he known there was asbestos siding, as his intent is to eventually put an addition on the home and now he will have to pay an outrageous amount of money to have the siding removed when he is ready to do that. He did have a home inspection but, again, the asbestos siding had been covered up and was not visible. Thank you.

 

[John_DFW]

I would contact an attorney.

Try to obtain an inspection from when the sellers purchased the home, it might disclose the asbestos or it might not.

What documentation do you have to show that there is asbestos?

Send copies of it to both real estate agents.

 

[FlyingRon]

Asbestos siding in place is not much of a defect. Your inspector was an idiot (unfortunately far too many are). Vinyl over the top of other siding should have been readily detected and a big RED FLAG that the new siding job was not done properly either. In place, asbestos siding isn't much of an issue. Removing it, and particularly DISPOSING of it is which is why it may have been sided over.

The other questions is when was this vinyl was applied? If it was done by the owners he purchased from, there may be a case that they knew why it was done this way. Of course, you're in a gray area (and I don't know how the CT courts side on this) whether IN PLACE asbestos siding constitutes a "defect."

He should bring all the information he has to a lawyer.