Beware the Snake House

In a scene that sounds like something from a Samuel L. Jackson movie, a Maryland real estate agent has been accused of selling an infested snake house to an unsuspecting family in Annapolis.

Homeowners Jeff and Jody Brooks purchased a home in the Washington DC area in December, and had an unexpected surprise when they found evidence that snakes were living in the home.

An exterminator was called and found black rat snakes along with snake skins, dens, tunnels, and feeces. While the species is not poisonous or considered dangerous to adults, the exterminator warned that the snake house was unsafe for children.

It is hard to believe that the previous owner was not aware of such a big snake problem, and the new owner has sued the selling agent and previous owner. Real estate agents have an ethical obligation to disclose dangerous conditions, and the new owners had no idea of the problem until they started seeing evidence of snakes in the home.

The Brooks family has filed a $2 million suit, four times the value of the home, seeking additional compensatory damages for the inconvenience and risk of harm to their family from the undisclosed problem.

Read the entire story at the Statesville Record & Landmark.

1 thought on “Beware the Snake House

  1. It might be helpful if you related the entire story. The previous owner was the realtor’s mother! The realtor lives immediately next door to the snake house. The buyers were aware of a snake problem before buying the house. The realtor had assured the snake problem had been dealt with professionally and would provide documentation to that effect. The realtor never provided said documentation. The buyers proceeded to settlement. The house was being sold in December when snakes are dormant . The snakes returned to activity after the Brooks family moved in. The Brooks spent tens of thousands of dollars attempting to get rid of the snakes. After being told by herpetologists that the problem was much bigger, they rightfully sued the realtor and her mother.

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