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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>The court ruled in Sellers favor in a similar scenario in Douglas v. Visser as stated in this chain. Buyer had a duty to further investigate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Nestor Gorfinkel, Attorney at Law <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Admitted to practice law in Washington & Florida <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Florida Civil-Law (International) Notary<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:nestor@pplsweb.com"><span style='color:#0563C1'>nestor@pplsweb.com</span></a></span><b><u><span style='color:#0563C1'> </span></u></b><b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>ATTENTION - This e-mail message and any attachment to this e-mail message may contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, retransmit, convert to hard copy, copy, use or disseminate this e-mail or any attachments to it. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail or by telephone at the phone numbers provided herein and delete this message. Please note that if this e-mail message contains a forwarded message or is a reply to a prior message, some or all of the contents of this message or any attachments may not have been produced by the sender.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:#009900'>P</span></b><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;color:#009900'> </span></b><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#009900'>Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Eric Nelsen<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, July 31, 2018 10:57 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Do principles of comparative fault apply<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I don't think so, but it's an interesting idea. If a seller negligently misrepresents, say, a leak in the foundation; and then buyer's inspector sees the water stains but negligently doesn't follow up sufficiently to determine the extent of the leak; is it comparative negligence, or does buyer's failure to inquire further completely eliminate seller's liability for the negligent misrepresentation?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Off the cuff, I would say that seller in that scenario is not liable. Elements of negligent misrepresentation require that (a) seller negligently misrepresents, (b) buyer <u>relies</u> on the misrep, and (c) buyer's reliance is <u>justified</u>. If the buyer's duty to inquire further is raised by seeing the water stains, then I think that buyer's reliance on the misrep can't be justified. And arguably, buyer did not rely on the misrep at all, because buyer did an inspection to determine the property condition independently.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I don't necessarily like that result; it gives seller broad latitude to "negligently" skate over problem conditions that a diligent buyer probably, but not certainly, would find; and in a later lawsuit hindsight is going to make it look too much like the buyer just didn't do a good inspection. But I think that's state of the law for us: when it comes to real estate, it's buyer beware, and the buyer needs to be really thorough and follow up on any hint of a problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The contributory fault statutes in Ch. 4.22 RCW don't apply because they are for injury to persons or harm to property, and don't cover a misrep as to condition of property to be sold.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>phone 206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>fax 206-625-9040<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'> <a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> [<a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Catherine Clark<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, July 31, 2018 10:29 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserve; KCBA Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Discussion List<br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBARP] Do principles of comparative fault apply<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To cases where the duty to inquire further in the purchase of real estate is asserted?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’m in a mediation where this has been asserted. I can find no case so stating.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Catherine C. Clark<br>Law Office of Catherine C. Clark PLLC<br>2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1250<br>Seattle, WA 98121<br>Phone: (206) 838-2528<br>Direct Dial: (206) 274-7941<br>Cell: (206) 409-8938<br>Fax: (206) 374-3003<br>Email: <a href="mailto:cat@loccc.com">cat@loccc.com</a><br><br>NOTICE: The information contained in this electronic information transmission is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone at (206) 838-2528. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>