Was the Maryland house snake infested?
With a failed mediation on the so-called snake infested house lawsuit, the suit is set to commence in 2016. The latest news is that a live black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta) may be entered into evidence when the $2 million jury trial begins. The $2 million lawsuit covers the price of the house, pest control, and other expenses and $1 million in punitive damages.
In September, exterminators set snake traps in and around the house and what the traps catch may appear in court. April is the tentative date set for a pretrial conference. This is where any evidence may be entered in the case. Both plaintiffs and defendants have hired snake experts to weigh in on the matter. Was the $410,000 a hibernaculum where snakes stay during the winter months?
The house in Annapolis, MD. was sold for $410,000 in December 2014 and Jeff and Jody Brooks sued in May 2015 claiming that the house was snake-infested and the real estate agent failed to disclose knowledge that snakes were in the house, according to court records.
The case has taken some interesting turns and twists as it slithered its way through the courts. The judge who was supposed to hear the case recused himself because his god son is married to an attorney for the plaintiffs, The Brookses, and the judge did some work for the defendant many years ago. The real estate agent who sold the home to the Brookses, Barbara Van Horn, is the daughter of the owner of the home, Joan Broseker. So what do you all think about this case? Is the amount of money the plaintiffs are seeking justified? Is the house really snake infested?
