CAVEAT EMPTOR

Newsday/Ellen Mitchel

A state Supreme Court judge in Mineola ruled earlier this year that real estate agents and homesellers have no obligation to disclose the presence of a sex offender in the neighborhood wherethey are selling houses. As far as sex offenders in the community, it is the responsibility of thebuyer to determine if any convicted sex criminals live nearby but it is not always a simple task.Police departments in Nassau and Suffolk counties have procedures for disseminating thisinformation but they involve filling out request forms to review the local directory of the state'ssex offender's registry. In Nassau you have to call 516-573-8055 and in Suffolk call 631-852-6183for information or send a written request to review the registry. Legislation was recentlyintroduced in Albany that would require brokers to inform buyers that the registry of convictedserious sex offenders exists and that it is the buyer's responsibility to seek out the information.Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law said, The legislation co-sponsored byAssemblyman Steven Engelbright (D-E. Setauket) and Senators Jim Lack (R-E. Northport) and DeanSkelos (R-Rockville Centre) would be a win-win for parents and realtors. Parents would be madeaware of how to access sex offender information and realtors would not be held responsible formonitoring the whereabouts of registered sex offenders.