Buying a home means trusting that the seller told you the truth about what you were getting. When a foundation crack gets painted over, a water stain gets hidden behind fresh drywall, or an HOA stays quiet about known soil problems in the community, the buyer is the one left holding a repair bill that should never have been theirs.
A Long Beach failure to disclose lawyer at Kristy & Kananen looks at what the seller actually knew, when they knew it, and whether they had a duty to tell you.
James R. Kristy has been licensed with the State Bar of California since 2000 and has spent two decades on the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Our experienced construction defects attorney in Long Beach, Kurt Kananen, has focused on construction-defect litigation since 1991. Together they help buyers find out what was kept from them and push for the money it takes to fix it.
Reach out to talk through what you found and what it might mean for your case.
California sellers of most homes have to fill out a Transfer Disclosure Statement telling buyers about known problems with the property. Under California Civil Code Section 1102 and the sections that follow, that duty applies to single-family homes, condos, and units in planned developments, and it cannot be waived just because the buyer signed an “as is” agreement.
We take on cases involving:
If any of these match what you found after closing, the seller’s silence may be exactly the kind of failure the law is built to address.
We start by pulling together everything available on the home, including the disclosure paperwork, inspection reports, and any prior repair or insurance records tied to the property.
Kurt Kananen’s 34 years of construction-defect litigation experience shapes how we read soil reports, plumbing diagrams, and roofing records for signs a problem existed long before closing.
If your home sits in Long Beach, Signal Hill, San Pedro, or Wilmington, a lawsuit over the property typically proceeds through the South District of the Los Angeles County Superior Court at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse on Magnolia Avenue. Knowing that court and its procedures helps us move your case forward without unnecessary delay.
Fixing a problem the seller already knew about and chose not to mention can cost thousands of dollars, and that figure climbs fast with structural or soil-related damage. Why should you pay to fix a problem someone else created and then hid from you? California gives you a window to act.
Under Code of Civil Procedure section 338(d), you generally have 3 years to file a fraud or nondisclosure claim. The clock starts when you discovered the hidden defect, or reasonably should have discovered it. Wait too long after finding the problem and you can lose the right to recover anything at all, even if your case is strong.
The firm worked with co-counsel to reach a $750,000 settlement for the owner of a custom single-family home that sank unevenly because of soil movement. The homeowners association managing the hillside community had allegedly failed to inform homeowners of known soil issues before the sale.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.
No. A consultation with our firm is free, and we can tell you early on whether the facts support a failure-to-disclose claim before you commit to anything.
Not necessarily. An “as is” clause tells you the seller won’t make repairs before closing, but it does not erase their legal duty to tell you about known defects. A seller who hid a known problem can still be held responsible even with that clause in the contract.
It applies broadly. The disclosure duty covers single-family homes, condo units, units in planned developments, and stock cooperative units, not just standalone houses. That means an HOA or community association that knew about a shared defect, like soil movement across a hillside development, can face its own claim for hiding that defect.
An agent’s lack of knowledge does not automatically clear the seller. The seller has their own duty to disclose what they personally knew. That duty is separate from anything the agent knew or should have found during a reasonable inspection.
Most disputes over Long Beach property go through the South District of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, housed at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse at 275 Magnolia Avenue. That courthouse covers Long Beach, Signal Hill, San Pedro, Wilmington, and the surrounding area. If you have questions about how your specific property fits into that process, reach out and we can walk through it with you.
You do not need to have every document figured out before you reach out. Bring us what you have, including the disclosure statement, inspection reports, and repair estimates, and our Long Beach failure to disclose lawyers can tell you where things stand.
There is no upfront cost to find out whether the seller’s silence cost you money they should be paying back. Contact us today to go over what happened and what comes next.
Contact Kristy & Kananen to discuss your employment law, construction defect or insurance-bad-faith claim. There are no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
To meet with an experienced lawyer to discuss your employment law matter, construction
defect or insurance bad faith claim. There are no attorney’s fees unless we recover
compensation on your behalf.
Contact Us Today 866-981-1498
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