If a real estate agent knew about termite damage but did not disclose it, they can be sued for damages. Termites may seem small, but the damage that they cause your home is completely disproportionate to their tiny size. This is why there are safeguards in the home sales process to make sure that you are aware if there is a problem. For Maryland home buyers, a reoccurring problem is when real estate agents sabotage those safeguards by not telling you about the termite problem or lying about it in order to get a commission.
Whitney, LLP’s real estate lawyers help home buyers bring claims and file lawsuits against dishonest and negligent home sellers, house flippers, real estate agents and termite inspection companies across Maryland. Our attorneys recover compensation for buyers to repair hidden damage and defects, and for emotional distress. We offer Legal Consultations.
If you need a real estate lawyer near me to help with hidden damage, failure to disclose defects, negligence or fraud in the purchase of a house, Call Us at 410 583 8000 or use our Online Quick Contact Form.
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An Agent Has a Duty to Disclose Termite Damage
A real estate agent is exactly that: an agent. This means they must follow the laws that all agents must comply with when they are representing someone else. One of the most important obligations that any agent has is the duty to disclose information to the person whom they are representing.
One of the major things that some real estate agents fail to tell buyers about is termite damage to the home. For buyers, this is a critical problem because termite damage is extremely expensive to fix, and it often threatens the structural integrity of a home. This is a serious problem when you have only found out after it is too late to back out of the deal.
You Can File a Lawsuit for Undisclosed Termite Damage
When the real estate agent is responsible for termite damage that the buyer must now pay ot have repaired, they can be made to pay in a lawsuit. As an experienced real estate attorney will tell you, failure to disclose termite damage could lead to lawsuits on the following grounds:
- Fraud
- Negligence
- Misrepresentation
- Breach of fiduciary duty
If you find yourself paying thousands of dollars to repair termite damage that you were never told about, a real estate lawyer could help you recover financial compensation. When you have incurred damages from undisclosed termite damage, the law can be used to make the responsible party pay for it.
You can sit down with a real estate lawyer to figure out exactly who had the information and did not pass it along to you. If the real estate agent knew and did not tell you, they can be one of the parties that you sue.
Not only could you be able to get financial compensation to repair the termite damage, but you could even be able to get money for the real estate agent’s fraud if their conduct was intentional. If the agent took steps to hide the termite damage so that you would not find out about it, this could be considered fraudulent.
Some Sellers and Agents Have a Reason to Lie and Hide
Some dishonest agents, sellers and home flippers have every incentive to hide and lie about termite damage to their buyers. Real estate agents who work with them may help them in covering up the problems with the house.
The agent can be held responsible similar to the seller. If you bought a home and discovered termite damage afterwards, one of the first calls that you need to make is to a real estate lawyer who can help you hold the real estate agent accountable.
Real Estate Lawyer for Buyers Who Discovered Termite Damage
You should not be left to repair a termite-damaged home that you did not know about and shoulder all the costs alone. Whitney, LLP’s attorneys can help you pursue compensation against the party responsible for hiding the damage from you.
If you were the victim of a dishonest seller, real estate agent or WDI/termite inspection company in Maryland, contact Whitney, LLP’s real estate lawyers at 410 583 8000, or use our Online Quick Contact Form, for your Legal Consultation.
We represent homebuyers throughout Maryland, including Baltimore, Columbia, Germantown, Silver Spring, Waldorf, Frederick, Ellicott City, Glen Burnie, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Bethesda, Dundalk, Towson, Bowie, Aspen Hill and Wheaton.