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Original poster

Vendor sold property but refusing to move out

241 replies

Mirrorimage2345684 · 12/03/2019 20:17

We are in Scotland. Our completion date on our new home was yesterday. We phoned the vendor to arrange to pick up the keys and he tells us that he wants to rent the property from us until the end of the month. He is now refusing to move as he has nowhere else to go. We have bent over backwards for this vendor, we allowed them a long entry date and then brought it forward at their request. We need them out ASAP but can’t afford to take them to court. What can we do?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mirrorimage2345684 · 13/03/2019 17:27

Locks are the first thing that’s getting done!!

OP posts:
Youcangoyourownwoo · 13/03/2019 17:29

Also shows how lacking Scottish law is

Eh? Does English law not give squatters rights?!

HotpotLawyer · 13/03/2019 17:37

"Eh? Does English law not give squatters rights?!"

Not under circumstaces like these, no.
www.gov.uk/squatting-law
"It’s usually a crime not to leave land or property when you’re instructed to do so by:

the owner
the police
the council
a repossession order"

Anyway - congratulations on your new house, OP- great news!

LOL at his solicitor told him to get out - I should think so too!

We bought a house form an idiot who thought completion was the day after and had arranged no van.

Our removal team helped him get all his stuff piled in the front garden while he madly phoned Man and Van outfits and his wife screamed at us.

KitKat1985 · 13/03/2019 17:37

Great news OP.

billybagpuss · 13/03/2019 17:38

Wow just come across this now, so pleased its happily resolved but the CFery astounds me.

Singlenotsingle · 13/03/2019 17:44

Congratulations. What a relief!

ScarletBitch · 13/03/2019 17:44

You get the Police yo remove him, he knew what date your keys were being handed over, he has had enough time to move out.

MyOtherProfile · 13/03/2019 17:47

The police already said they wouldn't get involved as it was a civic matter. Plus he is out anyway!

BikeTart · 13/03/2019 17:51

Ooh we had this situation years ago, OP.

Vendor pressed us for a quick sale then on the day announced he'd got no money to move with until the funds went through so hadn't done a single thing to prepare - his DW was doing the washing, nothing was packed, house was a mess and two ENORMOUS Rotweillers were snarling at us and the removal men, who'd had to park up the road as the vendor had threatened them.

Long long and very upsetting story short - both sets of solicitors came to talk him down, he swung at my then DH with a club hammer shouting that he had a right to defend against being made homeless, removal men just decided to get on with it, and ALL their staff turned up to help us move in, all the vendors stuff ended up on the front garden and in the back of a beat up transit van and they LEFT their dogs in the back garden in a specially built dog house for the next day and a half whilst they found somewhere to go.

Which, incidentally, happened to be one of the Isles off Scotland Grin.

TheFormidableMrsC · 13/03/2019 17:56

Great news! I am still really really want to know why he thought he could stay? I don't understand it. He was engaged enough to instruct an EA, a solicitor etc, why did he think he came with the fixtures and fittings??

10IAR · 13/03/2019 17:56

Also shows how lacking Scottish law is

Is that right? Because the fuck I would buy a house in England with all the bullshit that is legal.

The police would have removed OPs vendor.

How do I know this?

Because police Scotland told our vendors the same thing, over the phone, when they were still piss farting about at gone 7pm the day they got the cash in their bank!

But sneering at Scottish law? Have a look at your own first thanks!

JenniferJareau · 13/03/2019 18:02

Great news Flowers

Glad you are getting the locks done. Who knows what this man's boundaries are!

Original poster
Mirrorimage2345684 · 13/03/2019 18:07

He hadn’t made arrangements to move elsewhere so thought renting it from us was reasonable until he had somewhere. He was never malicious, just totally clueless.

OP posts:
coffeeismyspinach · 13/03/2019 18:27

Apparently he was shocked that we weren’t letting him stay. Other people’s stupidity never fails to amaze me.

It's not stupidity, it's sheer cunting cheeky chancer pisstaking fuckery. We had that with one vendor. They were more than happy to take our money but didn't want to get the fuck out. Acted all affronted that their problems were not ours and we needed to move into the house we bought right away because we had no where else to go. Glad he's gone.

coffeeismyspinach · 13/03/2019 18:28

He hadn’t made arrangements to move elsewhere so thought renting it from us was reasonable until he had somewhere. He was never malicious, just totally clueless.

Believe me, he's not. He knows fucking well what selling your house is. He was chancing his arm.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 13/03/2019 18:30

Well done OP, very pleased for you. Enjoy your new home.

Mummyoflittledragon · 13/03/2019 18:39

That’s fantastic news!

TheInvestigator · 13/03/2019 18:45

I'm sorry but did he explain his thought process.

He sold the house. You bought the house - that means you need the house to live in.

But he sold and didn't bother to find a new place to live and just thought he could rent from you... where did he think you would live? Where did he think you would put all your stuff?

I just really want to know what he was thinking!!!

coffeeismyspinach · 13/03/2019 18:51

He was thinking he'd chance his arm is what he was thinking. Like I said, we've seen it before. They just CBA'd to get their shit together except, of course, when it came to making sure they were on hand to sign contracts so the money could be transferred, funny that. So 'clueless' but not enough to not be aware they needed to turn up at their solicitor's to sign off so they could get the money Hmm. They acted all affronted. 'We thought you'd be more understanding' 'Don't you have a friend you can still with till we get sorted?' We just said, 'No. Bought this house to live in. Our tenancy is up, handed the keys back to the agents because well, we bought this house to live in,' and cracked on unloading whilst ex-FIL and my dad changed the locks out and my ex-MIL and mum went about hanging up blinds and curtains. Fucking chancers.

appleandpears · 13/03/2019 19:50

Great news OP- happy moving day-finally- to you!

Lonecatwithkitten · 13/03/2019 19:56

The Police won't help you in England see my situation 2 months later, and getting a court order.

ApolloandDaphne · 13/03/2019 20:53

How did he manage to pack up his house and move out so quickly?

HedgerowTree · 13/03/2019 22:37

Well done and enjoy your new house!
I’m sorry but he really was a CF and knew exactly what he was doing and leaving you homeless,

Stifledlife · 14/03/2019 17:35

This happened to me about 25 years ago. The estate agent went all secret agent and watched the property and let me know when the CF went out. I had a local locksmith on standby and met him there. He changed the locks, and just as he was finishing the CF came back, wasn't the least bit perturbed and asked me for his new key!!!
I allowed him to collect a few things and then shut him out. I was advised by the solicitor that I could be careless with his possessions, but not negligent (so I could spill coffee on his sofa, but not put it in the garden) and told him to contact me when he wanted to move his furniture out. He was baffled at this and just suggested I leave a key under the mat.

You can't reason with stupid.

Rtruth · 14/03/2019 17:48

Ring police they are living in your property