Question:

I was a homeless Veteran in 2015 when I purchased a home with my VA loan. There were items that were mentioned that were to be repaired or replaced, nothing was done after I get the keys, though the sellers agent asked mine if I was okay with those items being completed as I lived there. Under 3 months of living here, I've found that the main water at the house is a car radiator hose that leaked led into our water causing us to have miscarriages. I bought the house in June, in July the septic backed up and caused unspecified damage, but black mold is present, warping of the baseboards vanities and walls. In August the air conditioning broke, late November the heater went out. The ac went out because it was old and the component cover was missing, the heater went out due to rodents eating wires. In July my brother noticed rodent drippings in the kitchen pantry, after further investigation there significant signs of rodents present, in our rooms, the kitchen cabinets, garage, hall, closets, just about everywhere. If we plug in a small space heater the power goes out in that area of the house or more. Never disclosed this house was raided by law enforcement for drugs, those drugs could be harmful. Holes in walls leading to attic and outdoors, gaps under doors allowing anything to enter on top of weather conditions. The oven has never worked other than telling the time, the dishwasher never worked at all also, the master bathroom shower has never worked, and the master sink broke and now drains straight the vanity floor, so we only have one bathroom. I want to have those companies initially involved in the dealings of this house sell to me, pay off the entire debt of the home, upgrade the areas that needed basic repairs such as effected areas, and no we cannot replace our children lost to our ignorance to the water but three million. Or go to court and see what the outcome will be. What should I do, Jim?

Jim's Reply:

The first thing you have to do is own up to the fact that you made a mistake. You purchased a home and accepted it in poor condition with a wink and a nod from an agent who made a commission at closing and left you high and dry. The VA loan process is usually pretty good about thoroughly inspecting a potential purpose but it doesn't sound as if the inspector did you any favors. In the end, we're responsible for ensuring that we aren't being hoodwinked by a shady seller. Since you say this all began in 2015, you'll need to locate and retain (pay for) an attorney in your region who has expertise in real estate law.

• PS from StatesideLegal: Use the Find Legal Help directory to look for an LRS provider in your area and ask for low-cost consultation with a real estate lawyer.