# 1979 or 1972?



## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

I just finished an exterior where the home owner insisted the house was built in 1979. I think it was built in the early '70s.

Who is liable?


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

You, check county records to be sure, or use Zillow to check.


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

If it came down to it, I think you'd be liable - the HO could just deny ever saying that. Like RC said, go to Zillow.com and check.


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## Dean CRCNA (Feb 4, 2010)

On the Renovate Right signature area, I always have them write in the date the home was built. Not sure if it does any good, but still do it.

Also check on Zillow or Trulia


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

Look inside the electrical panel. It will usually have an inspection sticker/ tag.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

y.painting said:


> If it came down to it, I think you'd be liable - the HO could just deny ever saying that. Like RC said, go to Zillow.com and check.


Thats kind of what I'm driving at. How far do I need to go (common sense aside)
"Please show me the deed Ma'am"
?

Just a hypothetical.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Sometimes you can look under the toilet tank lid, may have date stamped on it. 
There is a realtor in my town that has a blog and she features different neighborhoods and often says what year a neighborhood was built. 
You can use Google Earth, it has a time slider on it, and you go back and see what homes were there in a certain year.
Those can be clues, but I would not rely 100% on that info.
I went to my town's recorder and she pulled me up a spreadsheet of all the homes in the county built before 1978. I can search for addresses on it.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

You guys really don't have county records available online in your area??
http://www.pcpao.org/

You go there and you can also see who really owns the home as well.


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## Harry (Aug 4, 2008)

Great question and I'm thinking that this can become a problem of liability.
I would think that if the homeowner stated in writing what year the home was built in...then you wouldn't be liable.

Electric panels and toilet tanks seem like a stretch to have to go through to find this info...more importantly...do you HAVE to?

Great question...


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I always figure with questions of "whose liable" the answer will be the one I do not want to hear. 

AND, ya know what they say, "ignorance is no excuse"

Expect the worst.

as Aaron says, online county records should give you some good data.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> I always figure with questions of "whose liable" the answer will be the one I do not want to hear.
> 
> AND, ya know what they say, "ignorance is no excuse"
> 
> ...


 
But you cannot trust them 100%. In the records for my own home, there are 2 different dates listed in 2 seperate documents . Now, it being in the early 20's, lead just " might " be an issue


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

chrisn said:


> But you cannot trust them 100%. In the records for my own home, there are 2 different dates listed in 2 seperate documents . Now, it being in the early 20's, lead just " might " be an issue


I agree, for OLDER homes some records can not be precise. The *online *deed records for this county start in '74. 

A quick trip to the tax collectors office could also prove informational, or building department.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

If the choice is between what you think & what the HO says,I think county records would trump all in a court of law.


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