Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, April 19, 2009

Tools for locating nearby sex offenders

By Steve Tytler

 Question: We are planning to buy our first home this year. With all the stories about sex predators in the news, I'm worried that we might buy a house next door to one. Are home sellers and real estate agents required to tell you if a known sex offender is living in a neighborhood?



Answer: Your concerns are understandable, but neither the home sellers nor the real estate agents are legally responsible for keeping track of sex offenders in a neighborhood.

Home sellers are required by state law to give you a disclosure statement that details all known material facts and/or defects that may affect the value of the property. Real estate companies that are members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service use a property disclosure form commonly known as Form 17.

Since 2005, state law has required home sellers to inform home buyers that they can obtain information about registered sex offenders from local law enforcement agencies. However, the law also specifically states that the sex offender information notice does not create any legal duty on the part of the home sellers or any real estate agents to investigate whether any sex offenders reside near the property for sale.

The job of investigating sex offenders is up to you. Fortunately, that is easy to do these days if you have a computer and access to the Internet. Most local law enforcement agencies have Web sites where you can look up registered sex offenders in your neighborhood.

For example, the Snoho- mish County Sheriff's Office has an online map of registered sex offenders, which you can find by typing "snohomish county sheriff sex offender" into a search engine.

The Web site features an interactive map where you can zoom into specific neighborhoods and streets and see all the registered Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders living in the area. The map shows the name of the sex offender and if you click on the person's name it will show you a photo of the offender and a description of his or her offense.

It's a sad commentary on society that we even have to think about things like this these days, but we are very fortunate that law enforcement agencies and the Internet make this information readily available so that you can make an informed choice before purchasing a home in any neighborhood.

Mail questions to Steve Tytler, The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206, or e-mail him at economy@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA