Snakes make it an uninhabitable home.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: A Maryland couple who recently invested their life savings in an Annapolis home are suing their realtor and the former owner for $2 million after discovering the house is infested with snakes up to seven feet long.
Jeff and Jody Brooks bought the house on the Broadneck Peninsula in December for $410,000, reported the Capital Gazette, but they claim the real estate agent hid her knowledge of the snakes from them while she closed the deal.
Shortly after moving in with their two children — a four-year-old son and now 9-month-old daughter — the couple began encountering coffee-ground stains and snakeskins in the basement, along with a distinct musk.
When the weather started warming, they were mortified to discover 3-foot, 7-foot, and 4-foot-long snakes in rapid succession, shortly after which they contacted Home Paramount Pest Control.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Stephen Kulp, manager of an Annapolis branch of Home Paramount, to The Gazette.
After crews gutted the basement and found a 4-foot snake along with a multitude of tunnels, they moved upstairs and encountered hordes of dens, further tunnels, and scat, according to the lawsuit. The couple said they found eight snakes before vacating the home.
According to USA Today, the lawsuit accuses the realtor, Barbara Van Horn, of knowing but not informing the Brooks about the snake issue. Jody Brooks stated they had heard a rumor and explicitly asked about the problem, and she also accused Van Horn of never providing certain pest inspection documentation.
“She said she had the world come out and look at it and there was no problem. She’s going to be our neighbor. She is a licensed agent. Who do you trust? A rumor in the area or a licensed agent?” Jody Brooks asked USA Today.
Even if they cleaned-out the home, an attorney for the couple informed WUSA9 there is no guarantee the snakes will not come back. According to the inspectors the Brooks hired, the snakes living in the Truxton Rd. home leave a scent so they know where to return.