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The Obligation Of A Home Seller To Disclose Information

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Can you sue the seller of a house who doesn't tell you that something horrible happened there before you bought it?

Realtor.com just released a survey of haunted houses and found that 35% of their nearly 1400 respondents believe that they have lived in a haunted house. The survey also found that 62% would consider buying a haunted house, although 38% said under no circumstances would they consider it.

If you're one of the 35% who think you live in a haunted house, do you have to tell the 38% who don't want to live there?

No, there's no 'truth-in- haunted houses' law, although it would probably make a good reality show. But what about whether something awful happened there?

When a California buyer bought a house in Pennsylvania and because she wasn't local she hadn't seen the news articles about the horrific murders that had happened there. She sued the realtor for failure to disclose. And, in California, if someone has died in the past three years in the house, it's considered a material fact that has to be disclosed. But not in Pennsylvania so the buyer lost the case.

But, good news. If you're one of those 38% of people who wouldn't buy a haunted house there's a website now called DiedInHouse.com and for $11.99 you can register and put in your address to find out for yourself.

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