Chattanooga TN Home Sales Require Full Seller Disclosure

Chattanooga TN home sales require full seller disclosure. Full disclosure of defects and known problems is Tennessee law and applies to anyone selling residential property. This became law April 8, 1998. An outline provided by the state is located at this link. Most laws have exceptions. One of the most commonly used exceptions to this law is a absentee owner or builder. The spirit of the law is that you must have been living in the dwelling recently to be able to disclose “known” issues.

This law helps keep sellers more honest in their dealings, but there are gray areas that cause pain. One of the gray areas pertains to repairs of problems. Technically, you do not need to list a defect if you repaired the issue. The problem becomes when the “repaired” problem not listed on the disclosure becomes a problem after the sale. Common issues in Chattanooga area are wet basements, and faulty septic systems. Owners may have the problems supposedly repaired in good faith. The new buyer finds out a year later that the issue has returned. Tempers may flare over perceived deception and cover up.

The best way to avoid problems is to disclose the repairs and provide receipts of the work done to correct problems. That way the seller is not only fully disclosing the issue but also providing contact information about the contractor providing services. This advice was given to me from an attorney who represents clients regarding waste water problems.

Ask your Realtor about exceptions to the disclosure. If you are exempt it is best to sign a document explaining how and why you are exempt from providing full disclosure. The spirit of the law is to protect consumers purchasing and selling a home.

The form is several pages in length and covers many areas of your property. Every residential property in Tennessee is covered. Chattanooga TN Home Sales Require Full Seller Disclosure.