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Three hours after completion still in my house

367 replies

Twatarse · 24/11/2021 17:21

As the title.

Completed at 2pm.

No keys. Agents frantically calling vendors. They are still packing the van. Agent and solicitor tell them in no uncertain terms that they do not own the property anymore and are now breaking the law.

An hour and a half passes and they drop the keys off with the agent.

Phew, we think, they are all gone. So we pick up the keys and drive to the property - they are still there and the house is still full. I mean full - could still see paintings on the wall in the lounge, hallway and kitchen filled with boxes, appliances.

Get a sob story of how they have been at work all day (completion date hardly comes as a fucking surprise, maybe take the day off as we did?)

I tell them that they no longer own the properly, me and my husband do, and that actually, we could legally walk in and lock the doors, “you couldn’t” came the reply - I don’t know what planet some people live on.

Called the agent who was like, What?! Solicitor aghast too. Our solicitor have contacted thieves saying that yep, we’ll just lock them out if we chose to and charge them to remove their properly.

I didn’t go in and lock the doors, I’m not that much of a prick even though it’s now my property and they are trespassing. My 15 month old was knackered in the back of the car.

Back at home now, thankfully only 5 mins down the road and thank god in a rented house so no massive deal tonight although removals booked for 9am.

I’m so pissed off. We’ve had a really awful few months, I’ve got a close relative in hospital, Ive been fighting for a diagnosis for them, I’ve been ill myself.

Why are people such dicks?

OP posts:
Ohpulltheotherone · 24/11/2021 18:26

Oh yeah I had that too, luckily same as you I didn’t need to move in the same day and the agent actually told me the vendor had to work so might be a little late past the completion time..::

There’s me imagining 2/3 pm tops. Nope, arrived at almost 6pm to the house still being packed up. She wasn’t even there, it was her poor brother and SIL.

People are mental.

DappledThings · 24/11/2021 18:27

Why on earth do people leave all/most the packing until the day of the move???
Goodness knows. A colleague of mine arrived at her new property and not only was the vendor still there with loads unpacked but she had just put a wash on.

Twatarse · 24/11/2021 18:29

It’s just so difficult as my dad is currently in hospital on the dementia ward. I have a half hour visit booked at 7pm (have to book and can’t change due to covid), if he doesn’t see me once a day, he gets very upset and agitated, I have to go.

So dh has to be here with the little ones while I do that.

He drove past again on the way home from taking ds to work, lights are all now off, two of the sons are sat with the stuff on the neighbours drive.

I will get home at 8 and he’s going over there then.

Life is a mess at the moment, we didn’t need this added to it.

OP posts:
Tillymintsmama · 24/11/2021 18:29

My move was like this. My removals guys were moving the previous owners shite down the stairs before they could move my stuff in. The place was chaos. They had no removals people, were doing it themselves 'to save money' (poor people only made £120k on the sale!!!) with a friggin trailer attached to their car. I still fume 18 months down the line when I think of it. I throw every piece of post that comes through the letterbox addressed to them in the bin out of spite!

mayblossominapril · 24/11/2021 18:29

I’ve always had everything out in time apart from last time when I had one thing left that I was struggling to get out. The new owners didn’t turn up until the next day so it was fine.
My parents once arrived with us children the removal men and all our possessions to find the vendors had hardly packed anything and their removals were struggling. So our removal men helped move them out before they moved us in. Our removals moved two houses out that day and one in!

PotteringAlong · 24/11/2021 18:29

Honestly though, I imagine your house insurance is invalid right now. They are squatting in your house. They need to leave and you need to make sure that it’s empty tonight. You cannot let them stay.

pinkpanther84 · 24/11/2021 18:30

What is wrong with people! We had similar, both took leave from work, completed 12pm, keys not available for hours after as they were still moving out. Eventually we went there anyway and waited outside whilst the vendor finished moving out their stuff. When we finally got in, obviously no cleaning had been done whatsoever so had to spend the next few days cleaning the place rather than unpacking. The man had dogs, and the hair was everywhere. Wish we had claimed some compensation or something

Porfre · 24/11/2021 18:32

@KittenCatcher

I would ask the police for advice, it's your house, you have the keys and they are trespassing and have probably left it in a shit tip too.
Police wont do anything. They'll say it's a civil matter
Bollindger · 24/11/2021 18:32

This seems to be happening more and more, I know when my parents moved, I was shocked at how long it took to move it all into the van, I put the back seat down in my car and packed my mother kitchen into it, and wiped everywhere down for her.
We were out by 2pm and then had to wait till 5pm for the keys to the new house, as someone forgot to hand them in.

Longingforatikihut · 24/11/2021 18:33

Had this 20 years ago but they weren't packing up their house... They were still at work and not a joy was packed! 'we will be home at 6' they were told by everyone in no uncertain terms they would be home now.

Minskie24 · 24/11/2021 18:37

Really hope you get them out tonight.

Poor you OP with poorly Dad. Moving is so stressful without anything else on top.

I know you can pursue interest charges and damages potentially - but I would expect the hassle of that is nnot what is needed right now.

Snoozeee · 24/11/2021 18:38

@Twatarse Legally, you own the property. You had every right to change the locks and throw their stuff out without any given reason except - you own the house. It's on the deeds, it's written in black and white.
Absolutely nothing they could've done to prevent you doing that. Thankfully, you had somewhere to go back to. If you were in a chain, it would've been a complete different story.

They should've taken the day off. They should've known better.

Absolutely unacceptable if you ask me.

Treetops09 · 24/11/2021 18:38

We had the opposite. Nightmare buyer all the way through who decided to transfer the money the day BEFORE completion then claim she owned the house so wanted her carpet cleaner in. Agent told her it doesn't work that way and we would move out on completion day as agreed. We were out well before midday but all morning she was hassling the agent to find out how quickly we'd be gone FFS

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 24/11/2021 18:39

Can your DH go in at 8pm and refuse to leave and sleep there? On a blow up bed if necessary. They need to book a hotel or sofa surf tonight.

S2617 · 24/11/2021 18:39

Go inside, lock the door and ask them if they want their stuff you will agree by appointment only.

Change the lock. End of.

PegasusReturns · 24/11/2021 18:44

I’m sorry you’re going through this, it sounds like you’re having a really miserable time and this is the proverbial cherry.

AndTime · 24/11/2021 18:46

Hope they are gone by 8, this is the last thing you need!

Soldoutinyoursize · 24/11/2021 18:47

I would assume something had gone very wrong from them today. Go stay in a hotel for the night & tell them you'll be back at 10am.

inawe · 24/11/2021 18:47

I would definitely be spending the night there. Cheeky fuckers, I'd never heard of this until a couple of years ago when it happened to our lovely new neighbours when our not so lovely old neighbours moved out. Apparently she was a hoarder, and new neighbours turned up to nothing moved and her sobbing and screaming that she didn't want to move out. They eventually got them out at nearly midnight, only to find that they had left the garage full to the ceiling of her hoarded shit. We were so relieved they're gone, and thankfully our new neighbours couldn't be lovelier.

Rainbowsew · 24/11/2021 18:48

This happened to us - twice!!

First-time, took the afternoon off work to excitedly get in our new house to find her still there cleaning the kitchen, which was kind but annoying because we weren't moving in and were going to rip it out anyway! Was just frustrating that idtook afternoon off for nothing!

Second time we'd had offer accept in April and took the house on in July (so plenty of time to pack!) We got there on exchange day and the house was full again!

I remember the EA ringing DH saying they haven't dismantled the chicken she'd and him replying have they took the chickens? If so leave it, I'll sort it myself....

10 years on we're still finding stuff that belonged to them!

merrymouse · 24/11/2021 18:51

Can any penalties be charged if they don’t vacate the house on time?

ArrrMeHearties · 24/11/2021 18:51

Turf them and their belongings out as they are technically trespassing in your home

minipie · 24/11/2021 18:52

I just…

How did they think completion works???

MurielSpriggs · 24/11/2021 18:52

Police wont do anything.
They'll say it's a civil matter

Just as well really. I can't see that arresting the vendors would help to speed things along at this point ...

MurielSpriggs · 24/11/2021 18:54

Can any penalties be charged if they don’t vacate the house on time?

Yes, to the extent that the buyer is out of pocket.