Seller Liability for Latent Property Defects Upheld

A lower court had ruled that a seller was responsible for latent defects affecting a property purchased by a buyer, ordering the sale to be voided and restitution, based on expert testimony concluding the defects rendered the property unfit for its intended purpose, despite the seller's claim that the buyer had knowledge of the issues before signing the final deed. The high court upheld the ruling, reasoning that the expert finding regarding the seriousness of the defects, which constituted a failure of the promised object of the sale, was a factual determination that could not be overturned, thereby justifying the rescission of the sale under the relevant civil code provisions concerning latent defects that impair the use of the property.