<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by akame2u:
My parents purchased their first house recently in So. California. While changing a faulty light switch my father discovered the wiring was aluminum. It was frail and brittle. From what we can tell it runs throughout the house. As you know aluminum wiring was made illegal long ago due to it’s many defective characteristics. My question is: 1. Shouldn’t that have been disclosed by the seller/broker? 2. What legal recourse, if any, do my parents have?
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The Seller should have disclosed this information if it was known such as when they bought perhaps the home inspector told them. If a home inspection was completed when your parents bought the home,(and I hope there was one) the home inspector should have been able to verify if the wiring was copper or aluminum. This would by way of an inspection of the interior of the circuit breaker box looking at the circuit breakers and connected wiring. In any case a licensed electrical contractor that specializes in aluminum wiring should be hired immediately to complete a thorough inspection of every device connection (lights, outlets etc.) Hopefully the devices are rated for aluminum wiring connection but I have seen copper only devices used with aluminum wiring which is a code violation. Aluminum wiring is not illegal but may restricted by local codes in some areas. Check with your local building department. More information is available on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website
www.cpsc.gov. There is recourse against the Seller if the Seller knew or should have known that the wiring material was aluminum. If sometime during the course of ownership electrical problems were experienced and the electrical contractor told the Seller the home had aluminum wiring. You are correct to understand that aluminum wiring is a material defect especially after discovery of the problem your Dad found. Faulty wiring in a branch circuit. The agent may share some disclosure responsibility if all homes in the area have aluminum wiring and it is a known fact within the local real estate industry.
