Bought a house? What to do about hidden defects?

Questioner

Hello, I bought a house in February. There's a leak in the bathroom, making it completely unusable. All the water flows through the drain into the crawl space. The insurance company states there's no visible damage, so this isn't covered. The end of the drain in the crawl space was repaired with some shoddy work and sealed with tape. The residents, who were the original owners, were aware of this, but they didn't inform us. The seller also suddenly announced that the downstairs toilet sink often doesn't drain and that we can expect the kitchen drain to be repaired within two years. The seller was aware of everything, but they didn't inform us. What's our legal position here?

Questioner

The question is whether you investigated the condition of the property, for example, by conducting a building inspection, based on the seller's statements. If the seller didn't mention the defect, they can, in principle, be held liable for the damage. However, the defect must have been present before the sale and they must have concealed it. They can also be held liable if the defect is serious, which appears to be the case here, and the defect wasn't visible to you. If you cannot reach an agreement and a legal dispute arises, please contact me immediately for consultation.