Somehow, we didn’t see them when we came to look at
the house and we didn’t have time to do an inspection. We just reviewed the
inspection that the sellers had done.
Now that we are moved in we realize that this is a big deal. The pigs especially really smell bad in this
hot weather. The goats make an awful
noise whenever anyone gets near them. We
think this whole thing was misrepresented and we would like your recommendation
for an attorney.
A: You might
start your investigation by reading the form 17, sellers disclosure that you
signed when you made the offer on your new home. There is plain language on that form that
indicates that you might be buying near farming activity and that you should
investigate for yourself the noise and smells.
You obviously ignored that.
In a rural or semi-rural area, you can expect people
to keep animals. You purchased a home on
several acres and many of the homes in that area have horses, goats, sheep,
chickens and yes, even pigs. It was your
responsibility to do a neighborhood review so that you understood the kind of
place you were moving into.
I’ll send you my recommendations for a couple of our
local attorneys but from what you’ve told me, I don’t think you have a
case. I find it hard to believe you never
noticed the farm animals next door when you looked at the house. I always find
it amazing when people buy a home without really studying the area, the
community and the property.