Renter or Buyer??

[lkarns]

My husband and I put our Missouri home for sale and completed a Sale on Contigency Contract on a home in Pennsylvania. We added an addendum to the contract to rent the property until March 2000 or our MO house sold, if it hadn't sold before March 2000 it would be extended. This took place on August 15 with us taking possession on Sept. 1.
Last week the house almost burned down from faulty wiring and when the electrician was here the real estate agent gave permission for him to order everything needed to make the electric safe and fix the heating system (which also doesn't work).
The owner is refusing to pay for any repairs; realtor says he's not liable. The owners disclosure statement (signed a year ago) states electric and heat are in O.K. condition.
What's are options?? HELP!!

 

[Kelley]

See a lawyer who does real estate in your locality, quick. That's why people hire inspectors to check homes before they buy them -- even though most inspectors don't find anything not obvious.

Absent some guaranty or intentional misstatement in the disclosure document, you are probably out of luck. But only someone from Pennsylvania can tell you for sure what rights you have.

 

[lkarns]

Even if the Seller filled out on the Seller Disclosure Sheet that there was no defects in the heating or electrical (dated a year ago?)