Posted on 05/22/2007 6:48:07 AM PDT by Rita Hayworth
A family in Central Florida is outraged that they were kept in the dark about their new house's dark secret: A triple murder and suicide happened within the four walls they'd just begun to call home. John and Kathy Johnson and their 24-year-old daughter Christina were horrified to learn that their bucolic Lake County ranch home was the scene of such a bloody crime — and worse, that the realtor and seller kept quiet about the grisly homicide. But on May 5, when the Johnsons moved into the Greenbrier Street residence, a neighbor mentioned that local police Cpl. Michael Mount of Eustis, Fla., gunned down his estranged wife Kim, fellow cop Joe Gomez and Gomez' wife Serena in a jealous rage in February 2006, according to The Orlando Sentinel. He then shot and killed himself. The crimes took place in what was then the Gomez family's house. A minor in the family inherited the property. "There was no way we could ever stay here," Christina Johnson told the Sentinel as she stood in the master bedroom, where three of the four victims perished. "It would be like living in a morgue." Her mother, Kathy Johnson, said the family thought about staying in the home, but after finding out what had happened, they were scared to death and felt fearful whenever they were inside. "We couldn't live with someone dying in the house," she said in a telephone interview with FOXNews.com. The house cost the Johnsons $227,000, but a Florida state law — one they want amended — allows real estate companies to withhold information about their properties' unsavory pasts, including homicides, suicides or deaths that occurred on the premises. "They don't have to reveal that three people died and a person committed suicide in the home," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
It's in a low, but very concentrated, crime area
“... what I said [about disclosure of past incidents that could cause emotional distress] only applies in most states.”
I just checked the seller’s disclosure form for Georgia and there is no question in it about such things. It is the sort of thing that a buyer’s agent might know about, for those few buyers who have one, and he or she would then be compelled to disclose.
Have the place exorcised/blessed or whatever their faith tells them to do.
My mother died at home. We all stayed at the house with my father when we went home for the funeral. Most of us sat in the chair she was sitting in when she passed away. I don’t think any of us thought anything of it except to be comforted.
More potential buyers increase a house's worth.
naw. *really* smart would be go amity on it, make up a HUGE bs story, sell it as a book, get it made into a movie, then sell the house for 10x what its worth.
Good idea!!
A little research (or gossiping with the neighbors) should have uncovered this one. I learned a lot about the former owners of our house just by hanging around the neighborhood.
I grew up listening to it on the radio. I remember Gillis, his wiser neighbor. Other shows we listened to were the Judy Canova show, Duffy’s Tavern, and on Saturday mornings, Big John and Sparky. I got to see BJ&S at a live production in the early fifties. Sparky was a puppet, to my shock.
Yet another reason I would never, ever live there.
purLEEEEZ! Maybe because this is some really stupid crap! Emotionally-distressed property? Has anyone tried to give such a property a big hug, try to raise its self-esteem? Maybe slip it some Zoloft? A building, fcol!!! What's next? "Have you, or any other inhabitants of the property, ever passed gas within the dwelling?"
For crying out loud!!!
I’ve got my house on the market right now, here in Michigan, and there is nothing—absolutely nothing—on any of our disclosures that comes remotely close to an “emotionally-distressed property” declaration, or whatever the heck the nonsense is.
This is a tricky topic and the law is not clear or settled in most states. But just because it is not on the state form, does not mean you are protected. Michigan law specifically protects real estate agents, but offers no specific protection for buyers. It is conceivable that a judge in Michigan could rule that a murder in a home did have material effect on the value of the property and rescind the sale. It sounds silly, but there have been cases in the country where it has happened.
http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?citeid=379591
15. Michigan
Michigan's occupational code protects real estate brokers and salespersons from causes of action for failing to disclose psychological impacts.
103 There are no such protections given to owners/transferors elsewhere in the Michigan statutes. The statute separates disease-type and death/crime-type impacts in two subsections. Subsection 339.2518(a) covers disease-type impacts by referring to the Fair Housing Act.104 Michigan is one of only two states to refer to the Fair Housing Act instead of listing disease-type impacts such as AIDS or HIV.105 Under this subsection real estate agents are protected from causes of action for failing to disclose the handicap of a prior occupant as defined by the Fair Housing Act and "disclosure of which would constitute unlawful discrimination under, sections 804,[106] 805,[107] 806,[108] or 818[109] . . . of the Act."110 Subsection 339.2518(b) covers crime/ death-type impacts. These are homicide, suicide, or other unlawful acts "which had no material effect on the condition of the real property or improvements."111103 *************** See Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2518 (1996).
104 Pub. L. No. 100-430, 102 Stat. 1619 (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-3619, 3631 and 28 U.S.C. §§ 2341-2342 (1994)). The Fair Housing Act defines "handicap" as:
(h) "Handicap" means, with respect to a person --
(1) a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities,
(2) a record of having such an impairment, or
(3) being regarded as having such an impairment,
but such term does not include current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of Title 21).
42 U.S.C. § 3602(h) (1994).
105 See Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2518(a) (1996). The Wisconsin psychologically impacted property statute also refers to the Fair Housing Act. Wis. Stat. Ann. § 452.23(i) (West. Supp. 1996).
106 42 U.S.C. § 3604 (1994) ("Sale or Rental of Housing").
107 Id. § 3605 ("Residential Real Estate-Related Transactions").
108 Id. § 3606 ("Provision of Brokerage Services").
109 Id. § 3617 ("Interference, Coercion, or Intimidation").
110 Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2518(a) (1996).
111 *************** Id. § 339.2518(b).
Is it contagious or something?
‘I would never, ever live there.’
You are so mean. All 38 million of us were waiting for your arrival.
Thanks for proving my point.
You want legally enforced superstition? Sounds like California might be calling your name.
Forget the boogeyman aspect. I see absolutely nothing noble or ethical about hiding the fact that a murder/suicide occurred in a house for sale. I can only assume you do.
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