Client
I needed to know what the seller of a new home is financially liable for after a traffic accident damaged the brick wall that separated the lawn from the sidewalk of the public street before the sale. The wall was damaged a week before the closing, but it has not been repaired and six months have passed. I was led to believe it would be by the seller's realtor at the closing. [This story is partly fiction to maintain everyone's privacy, but the "mustn't the seller pay for the damage?" question is the same.] Mr. Cooper was easy to talk to, reasonably informative, and quite clear: all I was hoping for. But I was very disappointed by the end of our initial, half-hour consultation because, even though I provided documentation from the realtor, his answer was basically "maybe." If I hadn't thought the seller was possibly responsible for the damage, I wouldn't have consulted Mr. Cooper. If he had said "No," I could have dropped the issue; if he had said "Yes," I could have asked what my next step should be. But as far as my question goes, I'm still as ignorant as I was before we spoke.