Meaning of word "remodeled" in California seller disclosure?

Question

On California C.A.R. TDS forms sellers have to disclose any unpermitted work properly so that buyers would not later sue seller for misrepresenting property.

On disclosures I have seen words "[re]built", "remodeled", "converted" being used to disclose unpermitted work. What are main differences between these words in common law?

Can seller state "bedroom was remodeled without permits" to imply that what is actually garage on building blueprints is now being called bedroom? Or would seller have to use verb "rebuilt without permits" or "converted without permits" in a such disclosure to imply that non-living space is being used as living space?

Answer 1

The words words "[re]built", "remodeled", and "converted" are not terms of art at common law. They would be interpreted on a case by case basis under the circumstances, typically in a lawsuit for a fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, or breach of a contractual covenant, with an eye towards where the use of a particular word in a particular context was, or was not, misleading.

Also "converted" is a term with a technical legal meaning but not in the sense that you are using the word (the technical term of art legal meaning is to take or obtain property of another in a tortious, i.e. wrongful, manner for which there is a civil damages remedy).

Often a court would refer to an ordinary, non-legal, dictionary to aid it in evaluating the meaning of these terms.