Tainted property

If you buy a house, you have a right to know whether that house was the site of a homicide, a suicide or some other felony, right? Not in Missouri. Section 442.600 RSMo provides that sellers of such "psychologically impacted real property" need not disclose these things to new buyers. Therefore, you don't have a right to know if the husband of the woman selling you the house hanged himself in the room you are about to call your new bedroom. This same statute provides that sellers have no duty to disclose to you that someone with HIV occupied the house. It's a different story if the house was used as a meth lab (BTW, in 2011, Missouri led the nation in the number of meth labs seized). If the seller knows that his or her house was once used as a meth lab, this must be disclosed, regardless of whether those operating the meth lab were convicted of any crime. Section 442.606 RSMo.

Continue ReadingTainted property

Quiet as a mouse?

I've sometimes heard the cliche "Quiet as a mouse," but we've had a couple mice in our house lately, and they aren't very quiet. Lots of scratching and gnawing. If you have mice, you often know it with your ears. I would suggest changing the phrase to "Quiet as a quiet mouse."

Continue ReadingQuiet as a mouse?