Thought we avoided knob & tube… turns out the whole house has it

Location: Ohio

Hey everyone — looking for some advice or similar experiences from Ohio homeowners.

I recently bought a house in Cuyahoga County (older home), and in our purchase agreement we specifically included a contingency that knob-and-tube wiring could NOT be in use. Based on that, we moved forward with the purchase.

After closing, we had a contractor out for a small issue, and they told us the house appears to be extensively (possibly entirely) wired with active knob-and-tube.

What’s confusing is:

• The seller (individual, not a company) marked the electrical section as “N/A” on the Residential Property Disclosure form
• Our inspection report didn’t mention knob-and-tube at all
• We relied on that contract language when buying

Now we’re potentially looking at a very expensive rewire, and I’m trying to figure out what our options realistically are.

Has anyone in Ohio dealt with something similar?

• Were you able to get the seller to pay or settle?
• Did you go through a lawyer, and was it worth it?
• Any issues with insurance because of knob-and-tube?

Not looking for strict legal advice — just trying to understand how these situations usually play out in the real world.

Appreciate any insight 🙏