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Do Estate Agents / Auctioneers have to tell you the truth about a property's past.

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  • 24-10-2007 12:20am
    #1
    davidtutty1970
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭


    Do Estate Agents / Auctioneers have to tell you the truth about a property’s past. Ok, here it goes; I got a call this evening from a friend to tell me that there was a property for sale in her block that had recently been the subject of some media attention due to a death. Now my question is does the Estate Agent/ Auctioneer have to disclose this fact or can they gloss over it the way they normally do with cracks and damp problems. It will be an investment for me so I won’t be living in it myself so it makes no odds to me but might to someone else down the line please let me know what you think of this. Thanking you in advance. David.


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    #2
    jdivision
    Registered Users Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    My understanding is that they don't have to tell anybody but if somebody asks about it they can't lie.


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    #3
    How Strange
    Registered Users Posts: 6,339 ✭✭✭How Strange


    davidtutty1970... Do Estate Agents / Auctioneers have to tell you the truth about a property’s past. Now my question is does the Estate Agent/ Auctioneer have to disclose this fact or can they gloss over it the way they normally do with cracks and damp problems.

    I would say no they don't. They are there to sell and get their commission and they aren't going to do anything that might jeopardise that especially in this tough market. You could even ask them why its up for sale and they could say that its because the owner died. Not lying but not telling the gruesome truth either.
    I'd say its up the the prospective owner to do their homework and check it out for themselves. Re cracks and damp - they know its your responsibility to get a survey done so why wouldn't they gloss over those unsavoury aspects?


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    #4
    TwoShedsJackson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    They are not obliged to offer any information beyond the obvious to you i.e. price etc. It's up to you to directly ask questions you want answered, then they are obliged to give you a truthful reply.


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    #5
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,400 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    TwoShedsJackson wrote: »
    They are not obliged to offer any information beyond the obvious to you i.e. price etc. It's up to you to directly ask questions you want answered, then they are obliged to give you a truthful reply.
    Not quite. they don't have to answer questions. However any questions they do answer and any information the offer themselves must be truthful.

    However, ever that has its limits. If an estate agent says a farm has good acces and can hold X thousand sheep..... well as one of my lecturers put it, some people like big sheep, some people like small sheep. Its a piece of marketing fluff. Whats good for one person might not be good for you.


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