Schaaf v. Highfield

The present case arises out of the sale of a home with a leaky roof in Bremerton. Petitioner Schaaf alleges that an appraiser (Olson) hired by the Veterans Administration (VA) conducted a negligent appraisal of the home and did not reveal the leaky roof to him. The trial court held that a VA appraiser owes no duty to a prospective purchaser like Schaaf and granted summary judgment to Olson. This court granted direct review of the trial court’s order on summary judgment dismissing Schaaf s complaint. We hold that a real estate appraiser owes a duty of care to third parties like Schaaf. Because…