Sexual offenders in the area (rental, crimes, selling a home)

[Skatergirl]

Originally Posted by roninsedge

I would do nothing. It isn't your responsibility, you don't know the buyers, and you don't know if the person on the registry still lives there. I did this check before I moved into my new house and found that the person closest to my home hadn't lived there in about a year.

I do know from the registry that he just re-registered at the address and the conviction involved kiddie porn. I've never been one to just do nothing when the potential for harm looms. I would like to think that there are more people out there that would want to do something to help the greater good rather than just turning their back so as to not be "bothered"....

[slim04]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

If I had children, I'd do the research myself since I would care about it. As I don't have or want kids, the only research I did was on traffic and general crime. The realtor did not share any of this with us (and legally could not--they could just direct us to where we could find the info ourselves).

What state bars realtors from providing that information? Sex offenders aren't a protected classes.

Some states have buyer beware statutes that provide a safe harbor that you can't sue the realtor if they tell you where they can find sex offender information. By remaining silent on the existence or non-existence of a sex offender, provides the realtor with the maximum legal protection in some states, but I can't imagine they'd be barred from telling more.

That's a free speech issue.

That's not to say it isn't smart business practice, as if they gave wrong information about a particular person or house, they may be exposing themselves to a defamation lawsuit. Or that a particular real estate agency doesn't have an internal policy not to provide sex offender information beyond the website.

[slim04]

Originally Posted by Skatergirl

I do know from the registry that he just re-registered at the address and the conviction involved kiddie porn. I've never been one to just do nothing when the potential for harm looms. I would like to think that there are more people out there that would want to do something to help the greater good rather than just turning their back so as to not be "bothered"....

I don't know. I think your method unnecessarily punishes a particular home seller that is trying to sell.

Instead of trying to warn off prospective buyers of this particular house, maybe your energies could be put towards efforts or organizations that promote the awareness of the sex offender registries or implementing or contributing to a neighborhood watch.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by slim04

I don't know. I think your method unnecessarily punishes a particular home seller that is trying to sell.

Instead of trying to warn off prospective buyers of this particular house, maybe your energies could be put towards efforts or organizations that promote the awareness of the sex offender registries or implementing or contributing to a neighborhood watch.

This is an excellent suggestion.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by slim04

What state bars realtors from providing that information? Sex offenders aren't a protected classes.

How is it different from not being able to say, "This neighborhood has x # of petty thefts each week", or "This neighborhood feeds to a school with below average test scores"? Surely, "This neighborhood has x # of sex offenders is the same type of information? Realtors aren't allowed to steer people towards or away any home.

The realtor can absolutely say, "Sex offender information, crime reports, and school information can be found in these locations. Feel free to research and determine your comfort level."

Or am I completely wrong in that interpretation of what the realtors I interviewed told us?

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

They also may include statutory rape cases. I wouldn't be too worried about someone who as an 18 year old got his underage girlfriend pregnant.

Typically registries list types of conviction. So that's a non-issue.

Realtors talking about crime, just as talking about schools, can get dangerously close to being considered racial steering so most stay away from it.

See the following quote.

Originally Posted by slim04

What state bars realtors from providing that information? Sex offenders aren't a protected classes.

Exactly!

Originally Posted by slim04

I don't know. I think your method unnecessarily punishes a particular home seller that is trying to sell.

Instead of trying to warn off prospective buyers of this particular house, maybe your energies could be put towards efforts or organizations that promote the awareness of the sex offender registries or implementing or contributing to a neighborhood watch.

In my experience, not a single realtor even recommended checking the registries, let alone check them for me. I know to check, but I wish realtors would at least recommend prospective buyers to check the registries and let them know that such information can be a factor in future resale.

[scottfs]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Realtors aren't allowed to steer people towards or away any home.

Huh? Can you elaborate on that? My realtor steered me away from plenty of homes for a variety of reasons.

[mikecart1]

Not sure how they do it here in the VA but in the PA, if you a sex offender, GOOD LUCK! A few years ago at my old place, the guy next to me was discovered by neighbors to be a sex offender. However, he didn't feel the need to let the landlord know about this. Whoopsi daisy! Next day he is gone like a fart in the wind and the complex cheered - at least on the inside. The landlord sent a letter to everyone in the complex thanking them for a job well done.

I can only hope people are just as strict in NOVA. Luckily I live in a far different complex where sickos like that most likely don't exist.

[HokieFan]

According to the Virginia Residential Property Discloser Act:

DPOR : Residential Property Disclosures

Real estate agents are required to disclose only material facts as related to the property. It is up to the buyer of the property to exercise due diligence such as research on the surrounding neighborhood.

I am curious as to what method the OP would use to alert potential buyers of the sex offender living next door? And where does it stop, what about the neighbor who's convicted of assault, robbery, murder? Do you feel the need to alert any potential buyer in your neighbor of all the notorious, violent criminals living amongst you?

I understand OPs desire to not turn her back, and so I think slim04's idea of promoting the VA State Police Sex Offender's Registry or a neighborhood watch would be the best solution.

[SallyField]

My goodness. I don't agree with being an obstructionist or leaving anonymous notes, but some of the attitudes in this thread seem off-base. This isn't a shoplifter. The sex offender registry exists precisely because this is a Big Deal for people with kids. In this case, you have a guy who apparently enjoys watching children get exploited and abused. I certainly would not want to live nearby.

Despite that, I would not aggressively intervene with any pending sale. If a potential buyer asked me about it, though, I would absolutely say "you may want to check the sex offender registry." Every family I know would have already checked this already, anyway.