Home>Levelset Community>Legal Help>The roof was finished and passed inspection in 2017 by the county's building department. The house was sold in 2019.
The roof was finished and passed inspection in 2017 by the county's building department. The house was sold in 2019.
I want to know if the contractor is liable after the transfer of ownership.
1 reply
Nov 13, 2019
First, it's worth noting that there are often very serious warranties in place when roofing work is performed. So, it's possible that latent issues with a roof, even after a transfer, may be covered by warranty. However, keep in mind that if there was some event that caused damage to the roof after it was constructed, generally, it may be hard to hold a contractor liable for the issue.
Considering the long-term nature of roof installations and the fact that there are often extensive warranties on roof installations, it might be helpful to reach out to the contractor who installed the roof to inform them of the alleged issues. Often, they'll be willing to inspect the roof to determine what issue may or may not be present, and they may be willing to undertake the fix regardless.
Additionally, keep in mind sellers of property are required to disclose any defects or issues with their property before selling it to a purchaser. So, if the seller knew of the issue prior to the sale and failed to disclose it, that seller may generally be held responsible.
Unfortunately, though, I don't have extensive experience with construction defects and property transfers in Florida. So, for the most clarity, it'd be helpful to reach out to a Florida construction attorney - like one of these Florida Construction Payment Experts - for further insight.