Emch's Toledo Blade column reviews disclosure rules for home sales

Dale Emch

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The nightmare situation for the buyer of an existing home is to move in and find some major defect such as a bad foundation or a leaky basement. Most buyers want to turn to the seller to fix the problem, but it's usually not that easy.

Dale Emch addresses the issue in this week's installment of his Toledo Blade column, Legal Briefs. The quick version is that barring some contractual obligation, sellers usually only have to disclose problems they actually knew existed. And, in some cases, those disclosures don't have to be made if the problem was obvious or there was an opportunity for a reasonable inspection.

The lesson is to always get a home inspection and if you have any concerns about potential flaws, see if you can insert language into the purchase agreement that protects you if defects are discovered after you close.

Dale's column also explored the controversial red-light cameras that Toledo and other jurisdictions are using to catch traffic offenders even when an officer isn't present.