We recently purchased a home in California. After the sale was complete and we moved into the home - we realized all the bathrooms and toilets clogged pretty badly and started backing up. We had to stay in a hotel for a couple of days - while the plumbing company, after extensive research, figured the entire length of the pipe had to be replaced. The whole thing cost us $13,000 - which the seller is refusing to pay back.
Is this an issue suing the seller for? Are there lawyers who specialize in these situations?
Thank you to anyone who can shed some light on this situation.
If the sellers should have known about the problem, (and it certainly sounds like they should have known about it) and did not disclose it, then yes, you should sue them. A real estate attorney can probably recommend another attorney if they don't do litigation. The title company you use, might be able to offer assistance or a recommendation as well.
However, if this is a situation where you really just needed rotor rooter or a similar company to unclog the main drain, and the plumber you called talked you into a pipe replacement that might have been needed somewhere down the line, but not necessarily now, or even in the next ten years, then you might not win the full amount you should ask for.
When I bought my first house it was in a neighborhood where the original main drains were clay pipes and most people had to eventually replace them with PVC pipes for the same type of clogging. My ex and I decided, after we took possession of the house, to simply go ahead and do it because we knew it would be eventually needed (I grew up in the neighborhood and knew about the issue).