Homicide Home for Sale (Pass or Buy)

**mrusajapan** · 03-16-2008, 09:54 PM

I am working with a real estate agent and am interested in submitting an offer for a home for sale, where a horrific murder took place. One of the owners was shot multiple times and died in the home. The home is being offered for sale by the surviving spouse and is being listed through a national real estate firm. My question is that, what would happen to me if I were to buy this home and at a later date the surviving spouse were to be arrested by local law enforcement for the murder of his/her spouse? Could immediate relatives of the deceased file legal action to void the sale of the real estate transaction, leaving me and my family out of the home and out of all the money I paid for the home? In addition, would title insurance protect me in this situation?

**Greg** · 03-18-2008, 07:15 AM

You need to ask these questions to a lawyer familiar with real estate law in the same area as the property. Anything we could offer would be guessing.

**Michigan** · 03-18-2008, 08:02 AM

No, you would have no problems.

Arresting her has nothing to do with her assets.

If found guilty she goes to jail. IF the family sues her for assets and win they will get a judgement for her assets of what she has today, they can't go back and take a car she sold 5 months ago....

If her assets today were just cash and a wheel barrel they would take that. There are no lis pendis on the property now which makes it legal to sell. Title company will back that up.

**TomAnto** · 03-18-2008, 08:23 AM

Michigan is right. You are a bone fide purchaser for value. Your rights will trump any that the surviving estate may have before the transaction. In addition, their main interest would most likely be to liquidate the assets. Since the home is sold, and value given, they are sitting in a better position than if the home were still held by the estate.