Law & License

    Johnson v. Davis

    The 1985 Florida Supreme Court decision requiring sellers of residential property to disclose known material defects not readily observable to the buyer.

    Johnson v. Davis is a 1985 Florida Supreme Court case that established a seller's duty to disclose. A seller of residential property must reveal known facts that materially affect the value of the property and are not readily observable to the buyer.

    The duty applies even when the buyer does not ask, and it extends to the licensees involved in the transaction.

    On the exam

    Johnson v. Davis: disclose known, hidden, value-affecting defects in residential property, even without being asked.

    Exam trap

    The duty covers known defects that are not readily observable. A seller cannot stay silent just because the buyer did not ask.

    Tested in

    Federal and State Laws (3% of the exam)

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    This definition is Florida real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.