My Client Just Revealed That He's A Registered Sex Offender. Now What?
I actually had this happen to me while representing the seller. I was holding an open house and a perspective buyer asked me where the registered sex offender lived in the neighborhood.
I told them, I didn't know of any registered sex offenders and I didn't trust some of the websites that show the specific areas because most sex offenders don't live in the same place very long.
When my clients returned, I asked them if they knew where the registered sex offender was living in the neighborhood. The wife started to cry as did the husband. They sent their three little girls to their rooms and we had a frank discussion.
It seems that the husband had met his wife in high school. He was 18 and she was 17. Her mother turned him into the police and he was arrested for statutory rape. They got married, when she turned 18 and had been happily married for nine years. Yet, he will be a registered sex offender for his whole life.
I know for every story like this there are probably 10 stories that show the dark side as does the one below...
Imagine you're a Realtor. You've been working with a man who wants to lease a home and you've exchanged emails, spoken and even looking at houses together. Right before you're ready to help him pull the trigger on a specific home he reveals he's a registered sex offender.
Now what?
Do you verbally let the other Realtor know that you're working with a registered sex offender?
Do you say nothing and hope the Listing agent & homeowner don't run a criminal report?
Do you add verbiage in special provisions that read.. "My Client Is A Child Molester, But He's Super Nice!"
Would a Realtor be violating the Realtor Code of Ethics by volunteering this information?
Questions, questions and more questions.
Are sex offenders a protected class?Can a homeowner turn down a tenant simply because the perspective tenant is a registered sex offender?
I spoke to a real estate attorney and was given an opinion. I'll share that in the comment section below after I read some of yours!
Go!
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