Opinion ID: 879372
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Implied Warrant of Habitability

Text: The McJunkins allege the District Court improperly granted a directed verdict on the implied warranty of habitability because the defects precluded realistic habitation. In Chandler v. Madison (1982), 197 Mont. 234, 642 P.2d 1028, we recognized that the doctrine of caveat emptor no longer reflects the realities of the modern home market. 197 Mont. at 239, 642 P.2d at 1031. We therefore held that the builder-vendor of a new home impliedly warrants that the residence is constructed in such a manner as to be suitable for habitation. Chandler, 197 Mont. at 239, 642 P.2d at 1031. The implied warranty of habitability does not require that the home be defect free, however. In the instant case, the District Court found that the mobile home was habitable. We agree. The trailer did not constitute a health or safety hazard. Nor was the mobile home so riddled with defects as to reasonably preclude its use as a residence. The critical determination for a breach of habitability is whether the defects relate to the useful occupancy of the house. Although the problems were a constant source of irritation for the McJunkins, the experts for both parties agreed that the trailer was habitable. The warranty of habitability is not so broad as to provide a remedy for minor defects and annoyances. See Klos v. Gockel (1976), 87 Wash.2d 567, 554 P.2d 1349.