A knowingly false Residential Disclosure Report can create post-closing problems for the Seller.
For many years, Connecticut residents selling real estate have been required to complete a Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report. The Report requires the Seller to answer questions about the condition of the home, the repair history of the home, and whether the seller has knowledge of problems with specific areas of the home. The law requires the Seller to deliver the Report to the Buyer prior to the closing. The importance of reasonable accuracy and honesty in the content of the Report has been emphasized in several cases decided by the Connecticut Appellate Courts in 2005. In those cases, the Seller was held responsible for problems first discovered after the closing, in part, because of information known by the Seller and not disclosed in the Report.