Fun with real estate

ClydeFrog · 03-25-2008, 11:00 PM

What is it about selling a house that turns generally decent people into jerkwads? I just bought a new place and the dude took about $2k (MUCH more if you count my labor) worth of little parts out of the house when he left. I'm talking ceiling fans, light fixtures, vanities, towel racks, sump pump ... most of it stupid stuff that the time to remove it was almost equal to the value of the parts. To make it worse the guy painted to cover up his crimes but he did a rotten job so now I have a bunch of walls to repaint to boot. I could have made a giant stink but I got a good deal and I had to get out of the old place so I just closed and now I'm steamed but still ahead financially.

The last house I bought the guy parked the moving van over the septic tank (thankfully no noticeable damage) dug out 1/2 of the landscape, left three cubic yards of trash and - for good measure - let the dog pee all over the house before leaving.

The house before that the guy also left a bunch of trash but it turned out he was lying about some severe water problems with the house. (He knew about them the neighbors confirmed) I could have sued his buttocks but he didn't have any money anyhow so my victory reward would have been a pile of lawyer bills. Yay.

I'm I just missing a gold mine of an opportunity when I sell? Should I be ripping the wiring out of the wall and crapping in the vents? Dumbass me, I'm labeling the paint (throwing out the unused cans) and mopping the floors. Argh. There's just something about the feeling of getting cheated that sticks in my craw. But I'm sure other people have had much worse done to them and frankly I'm loving the new place. Maybe I'll go sit in the hot tube, that'll chill me out.

dudio · 03-25-2008, 11:45 PM

remember .. 'what goes around, comes around'

Goodluck with the new place Clyde

{OF}Blong · 03-26-2008, 01:43 AM

interesting. Another reason to build your next house, though at current housing market values its cheaper to buy an already built one. Anyway I didnt have that issue but I did find out that the previous owner didnt reinsulate anything in this house. So I am stuck insulating what I can and the rest im gonna leave to the new owner whenever I get around to wanting to sell which hopefully will be when the market starts coming back up.

Smiley · 03-26-2008, 08:27 AM

I've never had that with any of the 7 houses I've purchased.

Personally I would raise a big stink about something like that, Michigan real estate law is that you purchased the home with everything that was a connected part of the home the last time you toured it.

I always leave a house clean and ready to move into.

{OF}Impaired · 03-26-2008, 09:40 AM

Take a look at your agreement to purchase and see what it say's about "Chattels" <-- check spelling.

Chattels are anything that is "Fixed" to the home.. example built in shelves, curtains light fixtures etc.

If they were gone you can actually get some recourse but it may cost you in lawyers fee's

As for the clean house thing.. I believe that the dog pee and trash clean up costs can be recouped as well as the home should be in a certain level of condition such as it was when viewed.. but not sure about American laws

Bummer either way though.

They will get theirs no worries there.. as said " what comes around goes around!"

{OF}BadDaWg · 03-26-2008, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smiley

I've never had that with any of the 7 houses I've purchased.

Personally I would raise a big stink about something like that, Michigan real estate law is that you purchased the home with everything that was a connected part of the home the last time you toured it.

I always leave a house clean and ready to move into.

And that's a fact Froggy.
As you know, I just sold mine, and that's what I got told many times by my agent when we were negotiating the final deal.
I tried to say "Then I want this, for that price", she told me it's attached, it has to stay.
I don't know why it would be any different for you!!

The trash........ they were just A-holes.

Soul · 03-26-2008, 04:07 PM

Metal?

dbabe · 03-26-2008, 05:30 PM

You need to call the real estate agent that handled the house and let them know what he did. Also, get a consult with a lawyer (usually are free) to find out what your options are. You can probably sue the guy, or maybe even file charges against him for theft.

Stop being such a nice froggy and stand up for yourself. Don't let people take advantage of you like that!!!

{OF}G_Man · 03-26-2008, 06:33 PM

Unbelieveable a$$holes !!

I'm sure you know this already, but read the fine and not so fine print in the buyer seller agreement and see just what's in there & if its not, sue the bastage. It's the only way to teach cheapskates like that a lesson by taking it out of their pocketbook.

A friend of mine & his wife sold a house which they had installed special antique light fixtures, and expensive/unusual shrubbery in their landscaping. There was a buyer seller agreement that allowed them,with the written permission of the buyer, to remove and take the fixtures and shrubbery with them to their new house.

dudio · 03-26-2008, 07:59 PM

Ya .. what Imp said Frog.
Chattel(sp?) is anything normally fixed
and it even encompasses light fixtures
and that kinda crap. Unless it's stipulated
that it will be removed, it should be there.

.. but like you, I'd balance out how much their
value was vs the BS of fighting it.