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<p>I would tend to agree, but the second sentence is too broad. The
PR is exempt from doing a seller disclosure statement under the
title, but not necessarily "any sellers' disclosures."<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Kary L. Krismer
206 723-2148</pre>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/7/2022 5:51 PM, Samuel M. Meyler
wrote:<br>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal">This is one that I have actually gotten a
few times from brokers and sellers. First, a personal
representative is exempt from making any sellers’ disclosure.
RCW 64.06.010(6). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A broker has a duty to disclose material
facts known to the broker and not apparent or readily
ascertainable to a party. RCW 18.86.030(1)(d). That being
said, death of any sort is not considered a “material fact.”
The Legislature made sure of that… <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Material fact” means information that
substantially adversely affects the value of the property or a
party's ability to perform its obligations in a real estate
transaction, or operates to materially impair or defeat the
purpose of the transaction. <b>The fact or suspicion that the
property, or any neighboring property, is or was the site of
a murder, suicide or other death, rape or other sex crime,
assault or other violent crime, robbery or burglary, illegal
drug activity, gang-related activity, political or religious
activity, or other act, occurrence, or use not adversely
affecting the physical condition of or title to the property
is not a material fact.</b> RCW 18.86.010(9). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For sellers who are not exempt from
providing Form 17, Washington law doesn’t expressly require
that a seller disclose any sort of death but one of the last
questions of the seller disclosure statement is, “Are there
any other existing material defects affecting the property
that a prospective buyer should know about?” This is usually
where the concern about disclosing a death arises. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I have advised clients in the past,
whether or not a death in the residence is a “material defect”
is a questions of fact that Washington courts have not ruled
on. That being said, the legislature has indicated that
“murder, suicide or other death” are not “material facts” that
a broker would be required to disclose and some other states
have ruled on this issue. While it is nonprecedential, <i>Milliken
v Jacono</i>, et al. out of Pennsylvania considered whether
a murder-suicide in a home was a material defect requiring
disclosure based on a similar seller disclosure form to our
Form 17. Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled that it was not a
“material defect” and that, “psychological stigmas are not
material defects of property that sellers must disclose to
buyers.” Non-binding, but worth considering. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sam <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Samuel
M. Meyler</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Meyler
Legal, PLLC </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">1700
Westlake Ave. N., Ste. 200<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Seattle,
Washington 98109</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Tel:</span></b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">
206.876.7770<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Fax:</span></b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">
206.876.7771<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">Email:</span></b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"> </span><a
href="mailto:samuel@meylerlegal.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">samuel@meylerlegal.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">NOTICE:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
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electronic message contains information which may be
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Communications Privacy Act 18 USC 2510. The information is
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<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>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com"><wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com></a> <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Kary Krismer<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, January 7, 2022 4:18 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Estate's Duty to Disclose
Decedent's (homeowner) suicide.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p>If the listing broker is asked they would have a duty to
honestly answer and disclose what they know. That's part of
the statutory duties and also likely a Realtor ethical rule.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I'm not so certain there is a clear answer to this question
as to the P.R. It's clearly not based on Form 17, but there
may be some other duty.<o:p></o:p></p>
<pre>Kary L. Krismer<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>John L. Scott, Inc.<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>206 723-2148<o:p></o:p></pre>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 1/7/2022 3:08 PM, <a
href="mailto:Jeff@bellanddavispllc.com"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">Jeff@bellanddavispllc.com</a>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal">Listmates:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Probate estate is selling Decedent’s home
in which decedent committed suicide. Must a potential Buyer
be informed how the owner died?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff Davis<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">W.
Jeff Davis</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">BELL
& DAVIS PLLC</span></b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
P.O. Box 510</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">720
E. Washington Street, Suite 105<br>
Sequim WA 98382<br>
Phone: (360) 683.1129 <br>
Fax: (360) 683.1258 <br>
email: </span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><a
href="mailto:jeff@bellanddavispllc.com"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="color:#0563C1">jeff@bellanddavispllc.com</span></a><span
style="color:black"><br>
</span></span><a href="http://www.bellanddavispllc.com/"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">www.bellanddavispllc.com</span></a><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<br>
The information contained in this e-mail message may be
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style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">
or call 360.683.1129.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<pre>***Disclaimer: Please note that RPPT listserv participation is not restricted to practicing attorneys and may include non-practicing attorneys, law students, professionals working in related fields, and others.***<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
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