Hello everyone,
I have a question regarding our "older building" from 1980.
It is a semi-detached house, we lived in it for about 22 years, sold it last year, and handed it over to the buyer earlier this year.
The buyer now informs us that there are damp exterior walls in the basement and has provided us with an "expert report" from a waterproofing company, which also includes several photos of the affected walls. I will try to attach them.
He accuses us of knowing about the defect and concealing it, arguing that some bricks appear to have been painted over at some point.
The fact is, we never painted anything in the basement. In the room in question, open rolls of textured wallpaper, wood scraps, and boxes were stored for months and years without any problems. Also, the photos show no peeling paint, there is no musty smell, and no mold is present.
The buyers visited the house with an inspector before the purchase, but of course, there were things leaning against the walls, so they couldn’t see them completely in detail, which is normal in an occupied property.
In any case, during the years we lived there, we never experienced any moisture problems in the basement.
Can anyone share their thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance!
I have a question regarding our "older building" from 1980.
It is a semi-detached house, we lived in it for about 22 years, sold it last year, and handed it over to the buyer earlier this year.
The buyer now informs us that there are damp exterior walls in the basement and has provided us with an "expert report" from a waterproofing company, which also includes several photos of the affected walls. I will try to attach them.
He accuses us of knowing about the defect and concealing it, arguing that some bricks appear to have been painted over at some point.
The fact is, we never painted anything in the basement. In the room in question, open rolls of textured wallpaper, wood scraps, and boxes were stored for months and years without any problems. Also, the photos show no peeling paint, there is no musty smell, and no mold is present.
The buyers visited the house with an inspector before the purchase, but of course, there were things leaning against the walls, so they couldn’t see them completely in detail, which is normal in an occupied property.
In any case, during the years we lived there, we never experienced any moisture problems in the basement.
Can anyone share their thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance!
C
Caspar202031 Jan 2019 20:13Yes; your lawyer.
charli schrieb:
He is now telling us that there are damp exterior walls in the basement...
He accuses us of knowing about the defect and concealing it.He will have to prove that to you first.
Why didn’t the expert notice this during the inspection? He probably didn’t do a thorough job, if there really is water damage.
I also think you should contact a lawyer right away.
In my opinion, the buyer is already going a bit too far.
Thank you for the responses.
We also agree that the buyer is going too far, and of course, we will involve a lawyer immediately if necessary.
This whole matter has two aspects for me.
1. We could not have known about any moisture problem in the basement, partly because we stored boxes, wallpaper rolls, and drywall sheets in one room (hobby room, second picture), none of which showed any signs of mold or rot. In the other room (laundry room, first picture), I regularly hung laundry, which usually dried within less than 24 hours.
2. I doubt that there is actually a moisture problem in the walls. After all, the employee of the waterproofing company is a salesperson for their product, not an independent expert.
We will write a response over the weekend and possibly provide further updates here.
We also agree that the buyer is going too far, and of course, we will involve a lawyer immediately if necessary.
This whole matter has two aspects for me.
1. We could not have known about any moisture problem in the basement, partly because we stored boxes, wallpaper rolls, and drywall sheets in one room (hobby room, second picture), none of which showed any signs of mold or rot. In the other room (laundry room, first picture), I regularly hung laundry, which usually dried within less than 24 hours.
2. I doubt that there is actually a moisture problem in the walls. After all, the employee of the waterproofing company is a salesperson for their product, not an independent expert.
We will write a response over the weekend and possibly provide further updates here.
H
HilfeHilfe1 Feb 2019 12:24Tell the lawyer ... I would be relaxed ....
As a general rule, the property is sold as seen. If you haven’t withheld any information here, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. The next step is probably an attempt to negotiate a price reduction, and the waterproofing specialist is likely just his buddy from the soccer club.
I would calmly but firmly explain your point of view. If he wants a refund, he should first contact his expert and try to reclaim the fee...
I would calmly but firmly explain your point of view. If he wants a refund, he should first contact his expert and try to reclaim the fee...
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