📋 Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) Requirements
California law requires sellers of residential real property (1-4 units) to provide buyers with a Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) disclosing all known material facts and defects that could affect the property's value or desirability. Failure to make required disclosures can result in ответственность for убытки or расторжение of the sale.
When TDS is Required
A Transfer Disclosure Statement is required for:
- Sales of residential property with 1-4 dwelling units
- Sales involving single-family homes, condos, and townhomes
- Most real estate transactions (with limited exceptions)
📝 Form Required
Sellers must complete the standard TDS form (гражданский кодекс 1102.6) covering property condition, systems, and defects.
🔍 Material Facts
Sellers must disclose all material facts - anything that would affect a buyer's decision or the property's value.
🏠 Agent Duties
Real estate agents must conduct a visual инспекция and disclose observable defects (Easton v. Strassburger).
⏰ Timing Matters
TDS must be delivered before contract signing. Buyers can rescind в течение 3 дней if delivered later.
⚠ Exceptions to TDS Requirement
TDS is NOT required for:
- Суд-ordered sales (foreclosure, probate, bankruptcy)
- Sales by fiduciaries (trustees, conservators)
- Sales between co-owners
- New construction never occupied
- Sales to the state or government entity
Однако, even exempt sellers may be ответственный for мошенничество or intentional concealment.
📝 Required Disclosures Under гражданский кодекс 1102
The TDS form requires sellers to disclose information about the following categories:
Ключевые Законы Калифорнии
гражданский кодекс Section 1102
Establishes the duty of sellers of residential property (1-4 units) to disclose material facts about the property's condition to prospective buyers.
гражданский кодекс Section 1102.6
Specifies the Transfer Disclosure Statement form that sellers must complete, including questions about structural, mechanical, and other property conditions.
гражданский кодекс Section 1102.6a
Requires additional disclosures including environmental hazards, Mello-Roos taxes, and supplemental property tax assessments.
гражданский кодекс Section 1103
Requires Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement covering flood zones, fire hazard zones, earthquake fault zones, and other natural hazards.
TDS Disclosure Categories
| Category | Items Requiring Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Structural | Foundation, walls, roof, floors, ceilings - any defects, ремонтные работы, or alterations |
| Systems | Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, water heater - any problems or ремонтные работы |
| Water/Moisture | Water intrusion, flooding, drainage problems, moisture, mold |
| Soil/Grading | Settling, sliding, drainage issues, fill, geological hazards |
| Permits | Unpermitted additions, renovations, or ремонтные работы |
| Environmental | Lead paint, asbestos, mold, soil contamination, hazardous materials |
| Nuisances | Noise, odors, neighborhood problems affecting enjoyment |
| Legal | Lawsuits, HOA disputes, boundary disputes, zoning нарушениеs |
⚠ Natural Hazard Disclosures
в дополнение к the TDS, California requires a separate Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (NHD) for properties in certain hazard zones.
🌊 Flood Hazard Zones
▼гражданский кодекс 1103(c)(1): Disclosure required if property is in:
- Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone A or V on FEMA maps)
- Area of potential flooding per dam inundation maps
Sellers must disclose flood страхование requirements and potential flood risks.
🔥 Fire Hazard Zones
▼гражданский кодекс 1103(c)(2): Disclosure required if property is in:
- Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (state responsibility areas)
- Wildland-Urban Interface fire area
Includes disclosure of brush clearance and vegetation management requirements.
🌏 Earthquake Fault Zones
▼гражданский кодекс 1103(c)(3): Disclosure required if property is in:
- Earthquake Fault Zone (Alquist-Priolo zone)
- Seismic Hazard Zone (liquefaction or landslide potential)
May require additional geological reports and disclosures.
🌃 Other Environmental Hazards
▼Additional disclosures may be required for:
- Airport influence areas (noise, safety)
- Former military ordnance locations
- Commercial/industrial zoning within 1 mile
- Farming operations within 1 mile
- Mining operations proximity
💡 NHD Reports
Most sellers purchase a Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report from a third-party company. These reports research public records and maps to determine which hazard zones apply to the property. непредоставление an accurate NHD can result in ответственность.
🏗 Common Non-Disclosure Нарушениеs
These are the most common disclosure нарушениеs that lead to buyer claims:
🏗 Foundation Problems
Failing to disclose known foundation cracks, settling, prior ремонтные работы, or structural engineer reports.
💧 Water Damage History
Concealing prior flooding, roof leaks, water intrusion, or mold reмедиация.
📜 Unpermitted Work
Failing to disclose room additions, garage conversions, or renovations done without permits.
🐛 Pest Damage
Not disclosing termite damage, infestations, or prior pest treatments and ремонтные работы.
Other Common Нарушениеs
- Roof problems - Age, leaks, ремонтные работы, remaining lifespan
- Plumbing issues - Sewer line problems, polybutylene pipes, leaks
- Electrical defects - Aluminum wiring, panel issues, code нарушениеs
- HVAC problems - Age, ремонтные работы, operational issues
- Neighbor disputes - Boundary issues, помеха исковое заявлениеs, HOA disputes
- Noise problems - Traffic, airport, commercial, neighbor noise
- Deaths on property - Within 3 года, if asked (гражданский кодекс 1710.2)
- Pending судебный процесс - HOA lawsuits, neighbor disputes, construction defects
- Environmental contamination - Soil contamination, underground tanks, nearby hazards
⚠ Active Concealment is Мошенничество
If a seller actively conceals defects (painting over water stains, covering cracks, etc.), this may constitute мошенничество, which has enhanced remedies including potential punitive убытки and a longer срок исковой давности.
💰 Remedies for Disclosure Нарушениеs
Buyers who discover undisclosed defects have several potential remedies under California law:
Available Remedies
| Remedy | Описание |
|---|---|
| Убытки | Cost of ремонтные работы, diminished value, consequential убытки (temporary housing, etc.) |
| Расторжение | Undo the sale - return property to seller, recover purchase price |
| Мошенничество Убытки | If intentional concealment, may recover additional убытки including punitive убытки |
| Адвокат Fees | If purchase contract has адвокат fee clause (most CAR forms do) |
Расторжение Requirements
To rescind (undo) the sale, you generally must:
- Act promptly upon discovering the undisclosed defects
- Offer to restore the property to продавец in substantially similar condition
- Show material ложное представление that would have affected your purchase decision
- Show reliance on продавец's representations (or silence)
💰 Убытки Calculation
You can typically recover the greater of:
- Out-of-pocket убытки: Cost to ремонт the undisclosed defects
- Benefit of the bargain: Difference between price paid and actual value with defects known
Plus consequential убытки like temporary housing, storage, expert fees, etc.
⏰ Срок Исковой Давности
3 года from when you discovered or reasonably should have discovered the undisclosed дефект (Code of Civil Procedure 338(d)). For мошенничество claims, 3 года from discovery. Do not delay in taking action once you discover problems.
🖩 Disclosure Нарушение Калькулятор Убытков
Use this interactive calculator to estimate potential убытки in ваше дело. Enter your information below to get an estimate of recoverable убытки.
📈 Расчёт Предполагаемых Убытков
✅ Контрольный Список Доказательств
Gather these documents to support your disclosure нарушение требование:
📄 Disclosure Documents
- ✓ Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS)
- ✓ Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ)
- ✓ Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD)
- ✓ Agent Visual Инспекция Disclosure (AVID)
📜 Transaction Documents
- ✓ Purchase agreement and addenda
- ✓ Closing documents (мировое соглашение statement)
- ✓ Pre-purchase инспекция report
- ✓ MLS listing and photos from sale
🔍 Доказательства of Defects
- ✓ Post-purchase инспекция report
- ✓ Photos/videos of defects discovered
- ✓ Ремонт estimates from подрядчикs
- ✓ Expert opinions on when defects originated
📈 Доказательства Seller Knew
- ✓ Permit records from city (prior ремонтные работы)
- ✓ Страхование claims on property
- ✓ Neighbor statements about issues
- ✓ Доказательства of cover-ups (fresh paint, patching)
📝 Sample Требование
Use this template for your TDS нарушение требование. Отправить via заказное письмо, уведомление о вручении requested.
[DATE]
[SELLER NAME]
[SELLER ADDRESS]
Re: Demand for Компенсация - Transfer Disclosure Нарушениеs
Property: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
Dear [SELLER NAME]:
I am writing regarding the property located at [PROPERTY ADDRESS], which I purchased from you on [CLOSING DATE]. Since taking possession, I have discovered serious defects that you failed to disclose in нарушение of California гражданский кодекс sections 1102-1102.17 and your common law duty to disclose material facts.
On the Transfer Disclosure Statement you provided, you answered "Нет" or failed to disclose the following material facts that you knew or should have known:
1. [Describe Дефект - e.g., "Water Intrusion and Mold"]
Your TDS indicated no knowledge of water intrusion, flooding, or moisture problems. Однако, I have discovered [extensive water staining on the ceiling of the master bedroom and living room, mold growth behind the drywall, and доказательства of prior water damage ремонтные работы]. Доказательства indicates you knew of this condition because [the ceiling was recently painted over visible water stains, the mold reмедиация company found доказательства of prior treatment, neighbor confirmed you complained about roof leaks].
2. [Describe Additional Дефект]
[Продолжить describing each undisclosed дефект with specific facts about what was not disclosed and доказательства of seller's knowledge]
Under California гражданский кодекс section 1102 et seq., sellers of residential real property обязаны provide buyers with a Transfer Disclosure Statement disclosing all known material facts about the property's condition. Your failure to disclose the above defects constitutes:
1. Нарушение of гражданский кодекс 1102: Failure to complete the TDS accurately and in добросовестность
2. Мошенничество by concealment: Intentionally failing to disclose material facts you knew would affect the purchase decision
3. Negligent ложное представление: Providing false information without reasonable grounds for believing it true
California courts have consistently held that sellers have a duty to disclose known material defects. See Lingsch v. Savage (1963) 213 Cal.App.2d 729; Shapiro v. Sutherland (1998) 64 Cal.App.4th 1534.
As a result of your disclosure нарушениеs, I have suffered the following убытки:
- Cost of ремонтные работы: $[AMOUNT]
- Expert инспекция fees: $[AMOUNT]
- Temporary housing during ремонтные работы: $[AMOUNT]
- [Other убытки]: $[AMOUNT]
TOTAL DAMAGES: $[TOTAL]
I hereby demand payment of $[TOTAL] within [30 DAYS] of the date of this letter. If I do not receive full payment by this deadline, I will pursue all available legal remedies, including filing a судебный иск seeking убытки, адвокат fees as provided in our purchase agreement, and potentially расторжение of the entire transaction.
Please also be advised that I reserve the right to file a исковое заявление with the California Department of Real Estate if your real estate agent was complicit in these disclosure failures.
- Копировать of Transfer Disclosure Statement showing your false representations
- Инспекция report documenting the undisclosed defects
- Ремонт estimates
- Photographs of the defects
- [Other supporting documentation]
Please direct your response and any мировое соглашение payment to:
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR PHONE]
[YOUR EMAIL]
С уважением,
____________________________
[YOUR NAME]
Нужна Юридическая Помощь?
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Записаться на Консультацию - $125Ресурсы Калифорнии
- Департамент Недвижимости Калифорнии: dre.ca.gov - File исковое заявлениеs against agents/brokers
- DRE Public Inquiry Line: 1-877-373-4542
- California гражданский кодекс 1102: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- State Bar Адвокат Referral: calbar.ca.gov
- Local Building Department: Check permit history on property