A family of four was forced to leave their home in Annapolis, Maryland, after it was deemed "unsuitable for children" due to the infestation of snakes living in the basement and slithering through the walls, ranging from "a few inches to a terrifying six to seven feet long."
Jeff and Jody Brooks purchased their "dream home" back in December 2014 for $400K, but after their 4-year-old son spotted a black rat snake, they knew they couldn't stay in the house much longer, according to the Washington Post.
At first, Jeff and Jody thought it was just a rare incident in which one snake snuck onto the property, but that was wishful thinking.
A week or so later, Jeff found a thick, seven-foot black rat snake. Then the family found another. And another. And another.
The Brooks family vacated and went to live with relatives, and when the house was gutted, a snake contractor reaffirmed that it was infested and even found "highways in the basement walls that the snakes used to traverse the home."
"We tried to brush it under the carpet with him and say that staying at my parent's house was a mini-vacation," Jody Brooks told ABC News.
Black rat snakes are nonvenomous and are not typically interested in humans. The family said, however, they've suffered from severe respiratory problems after living with an "excessive amount of snake feces."
Jeff Brooks said he was concerned that one of them would slither into the crib with their 7-month-old daughter Lilly.
"You don't want to leave your kids alone anywhere in that house," she added. "It's spooky."
Since the family has left the property, 13-15 snakes have been found, according to Matthew Evans, the family's lawyer.
After doing a bit of research (and spending $60,000 on pest control, which is not a guaranteed remedy), the Brooks family learned that the previous homeowners had endured the same issues, but tried to conceal the problem in order to sell their house.
Jeff and Jody hired Evans to file a claim against the seller, Joan Broseker, and her agent and daughter, Barbara Van Horn, all of whom were aware of the infestation. They are seeking $2 million in damages.
"We were originally going to fix the problem," Jody said. "Now we just want our money back and to start over. It's emotionally exhausting and overwhelming."
One pest control company said that the problem was so bad that they should "burn the house down and let it sit for 15 years," ABC News reported.
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