Court Opinion

ID: 9712456
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:54:17.415704+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:12.333952
License: Public Domain

BROSKY, Judge,
dissenting:
I am in complete agreement with the majority’s interpretation of the applicable law, however, I am not persuaded that the facts in the instant case, when applied to that law, justify the result reached by the majority. I find the following facts to be of critical importance:
1. In 1971 the Frosts were informed that their house had termites present in it, however, the problem was not considered sufficiently serious by them to warrant spending $240 for an extermination.
2. The house was not sold by the Frosts to the Quashnocks until May, 1973, two years later.
3. The Quashnocks were given ample opportunity to inspect the house.
4. The Frosts were never asked by the Quashnocks whether a termite problem existed. The Frosts never stated to the Quashnocks that a termite problem did or did not exist.
5. The Quashnocks never undertook to have the house inspected for termites by an exterminator before they purchased the house or shortly thereafter.
6. The Quashnocks did not discover the termites until January of 1977.
7. The trial court held that the Frosts had not committed fraud in their representations to the Quashnocks concerning the condition of the house.
I would not hold, in light of these facts that the Frosts were under a duty to disclose to the Quashnocks anything about the termite condition, because the Frosts did not have *31the requisite knowledge of the condition. Glanski v. Ervine, 269 Pa.Super. 182, 409 A.2d 425 (1979). Certainly, the Frosts knew there were termites in the house, however, they apparently did not know the extent of the problem. They had no reason to believe that the condition was dangerous to the purchaser. Clearly, they did not think the problem was a serious one. They took no action to remedy it two years before the sale was made. As the trial court determined, the Frosts did not present fraudulent representations to the Quashnocks. Furthermore, the Quashnocks were given ample opportunity to inspect the house. They did not find any fault with the house upon inspection. In fact, their discovery of the termite infestation did not occur until three years and eight months after they purchased the house. Consequently, I cannot agree with the majority that these facts justify holding that the Frosts were under a duty to disclose to the Quashnocks their knowledge of the presence of termites in the house years before the sale.