Texas Real Estate Disclosure (legal, to eat, snakes)

[loves2read]

yes--where in Dallas do you live?

will king snakes kill copperheads like they do rattlesnakes--
call the local zoo and find out
maybe you can get them to come harvest some snakes
maybe you can find someone who deals in snake venom who might want them

[my2boys47]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. Of course, I would not just jump up and sue them. But answering one person's question, they had small children and dogs. I'm not sure if they did their own yardwork or not, but there were children's toys in the backyard when my husband looked at the house. We live in Cedar Hill, by the way. They did live here for well over a year, and I cannot see any possible way they could not have known about this problem. I wouldn't do anything unless I thought we actually had a case against them. But it has become such a disturbance to our family, I am ready to take action if we can.

[jpwwylie]

Originally Posted by my2boys47

I moved into a home in September. Afterward, we find out that our yard is infested with Copperheads. We have a wildlife exterminator that has estimated at least 60 in our yard. Is this something that should have been disclosed to us? If so, what do we do now?

We have just moved into a house and have a similar snake problem as you. I would love to compare notes. I can be contacted at [email]jpwwylie@yahoo.com[/email] . We have already filed suit as we know the owner knew and did not disclose. JW

[TXbound2011]

I hate snakes! Are snakes that common around the Flower Mound, Grapevine, Keller area?

[MckinneyOwnr]

It is possible to eradicate a snake den, but it is very costly. Coming from FL, there are snakes everywhere, you'll need to hire a professional to locate the den and any entrances/exits there are, then they can treat it. One person I know eventually cut his lawn size in half, by digging up the other half, leveling the yard, then put in a rock garden over a concrete slab.

60 snakes sounds like even more than he had though. I'd consult with an exterminator to see what options are available. You can eliminate a den, but you may decide it just isn't worth the cost to do it permanently.

[Twincam666]

Originally Posted by 5stones

seriously?
you can't just sue everyone all the time. Sometimes crap just happens and it's no-ones fault, you just have to deal with it.

here's a link, snake numbers are on an increase in some areas.
Meet The Van Alstyne ‘Snake Lady’ « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

Is there new developments close by where the land is being distrubed?
the early heat and lack of rain may also have them on the move.

We have cottonmouths in our neighborhood... saw about a 5 ft one when IKE dumped all the here. We have a TON of rat snakes. We had termites, about 3 mo after we moved in. Had a huge wasp nest in the attic...it was dorment when we bought the house, so it wasn't known until spring...again not the fault of the previuos homewowner.

For it to be the seller resp. you have to PROVE they had prior knowledge. They may not have been aware, did they have small kids playing outside? dogs? did they even do thier own lawn work? I have neighbors that I sware must be vampires...never have seen outside!

It's a crappy situation and I am sorry...but to just jump on the lets sue the previous owners bandwaggon is wrong.

How are your dogs? we lost one of ours to a copperhead when we lived in VA..nasty things.

Having 60 Copperheads in your backyard is not CRAP JUST HAPPENING! They obviously knew it and any court should be intelligent enough to know that!

[matt smith]

Whatever happened with the snake problem that my2boys47 had in 2011?

[HFamily]

I'm curious how this turned out, too. Didn't see it before and didn't notice the dates until the last post.

If the previous owners knew, you'd have to prove it, and even then, it's iffy. Here is the link to the disclosure form that sellers fill out, which is mostly related to the condition of the house. Question 6 *could* have been used for that, but the wording is vague and leaves it open for interpretation by the courts. Snakes are native to this area, so I wouldn't think of putting it there to be honest. http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/contracts/OP-H.pdf

If you're still having the problem (and I so hope you're not!)... get rid of the wood retaining wall, those are snake-magnets when they start to rot! Put in stone or concrete, the cost will be worthwhile and may just take away their breeding ground.

[EDS_]

Ancient post withdrawn

[matt smith]

Did my2boys47 try legal action? She hasn't been active lately.