If you're about to buy a property in which a recent death has occurred, you would expect the real estate agent to let you know, right?
But what if the death took place after the buyer signed on the dotted line but had not yet taken possession of the home?
In August, this situation presented itself after an alleged murder at a Scarborough property.
Adrian Carey from Residential and Investment Realty in Innaloo said that with less than two weeks until settlement was due on the house he had recently sold, a death occurred and a man was charged with murder.
"There was initially no disclosure to make to the original buyer as the sale was unconditional - it could've been pushed through legally but that would've been a horrible thing to do in this case," he said.
"I know that they weren't comfortable so I thought 'let's get it sold', we terminated the original sale and went back to others who'd been interested in the property."
Mr Carey said the new potential buyers were told what had happened and many were still happy to put in offers. The property sold again for slightly more than expected.
For him, it was "a first".
Real Estate Institute of WA president David Airey said the technical term was a "stigmatised house".
"Actually there are no formal rules about disclosure about deaths, none in legislation anyway," he said.
"It actually comes under the code of conduct of real estate agents, so if asked by a buyer, they must disclose if there was a murder or a death in the house."
"It goes back a number of years ago when there was a multiple murder of a family in Sydney. Some years later when the property went on the market and the agent did not mention the murders, the sale was cancelled and legal action ensued.
"From this came the code of conduct rule in WA that you must answer truthfully about any matter you have knowledge of."
Mr Airey admitted that if a real estate agent was not aware of a death in a property, they are not expected to find out.
"If you know about it, you've got to disclose it, if you weren't aware, nothing can be done."
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