Turpin Family House, Where 12 Kids Were Allegedly Tortured And Imprisoned, Is Up For Auction In California
The Southern California home where David and Louise Turpin are alleged to have tortured and imprisoned 12 of their children is now up for sale to the highest bidder.
On Saturday, bidding began for the 2,386-square-foot home in Perris, where the Turpin parents are accused of torturing 12 of their 13 children. As the New York Daily News reported, bidding had already reached $200,000 by Sunday morning for the home appraised at $353,158, with the total expected to continue rising.
The couple was arrested early this year after a 17-year-old daughter escaped and called police, saying that her parents were abusive and that her younger sisters were chained inside the home. Police arrived to find a foul smell throughout the house and a 22-year-old chained to a bed, with the rest of the children appearing to be very malnourished.
Both David and Louise Turpin were arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, and face dozens of felony charges including torture, false imprisonment, and child abuse, the New York Daily News reported. They are set to go to trial in September.
The family’s home went into foreclosure in November, and a listing was posted by an auction company that did not include the crimes that allegedly took place there. After potential buyers realized that the home in question had allegedly been the site of imprisonment and torture, auction company Hudson & Marshall updated the listing.
As the Press-Enterprise reported, local real estate experts said that the crimes should have been disclosed from the beginning.
Scott Beloian, owner of Westcoe Realtors in Riverside, told the newspaper that there are laws requiring agents to reveal any deaths at the residence in the last three years or exposure to controlled substances like methamphetamine or fentanyl labs. But many other realtors will go beyond the requirements to let potential buyers know of other potential pitfalls.
“We’ve always been, if you have to ask the question, should I disclose, you should err on the side of probably so,” Beloian said, adding that sellers may face civil liabilities if the alleged crimes are revealed later after a buyer has completed purchase of the home.
The Southern California house of horrors where David and Louise Turpin allegedly imprisoned and tortured a dozen of their 13 kids went up for auction. https://t.co/02UkDfDDln pic.twitter.com/5NQuQBfxdz
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) December 30, 2018
Beloian said he believes whoever submits the winning bid on the Turpin home will likely try to renovate and re-sell it, and will likely include the alleged crimes in the listing.
“I would like to think that the seller is going to disclose to the buyer what happened in the house,” Beloian said.
The auction for the Turpin house is set to end on Wednesday.
