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Original poster

Vendors from hell

54 replies

Middleoftheroad · 10/02/2017 07:29

Long story (vents)

We put an offer in on a house at the very start of Nov. It was accepted at the same time as our sale. Great as our previous buyer pulled out.

I thought it was odd at the time the property we were buying had fallen through three times with three agents but the vendor said their buyers had pulled out way into the process each time. Her DH was not at our 2 viewings, she said he'd had a stroke previously and that they were moving to rented in Devon.

Their agent was a mare from the start. Grilling if we had the finances erc when we are in a healthy position but all was fine.

Roll to end Dec. house we are buying has three charging orders (alarm bells explains why agent was grilling us financially. cheek) couldnt find any paperwork for major extension etc. This delayed us. I didnt want to move into a house with charging orders. would debt collectors be at tge door?

Christmas. new year. start Jan im getting nervous we will miss school deadline for senior. this is why we are moving. our sale is going smoothly but buying - EA of vendor on phone emailing every day. The vendors not in a chain but we are all keen to move. we are really pushing.

last week. vendors atill havent had old massive (19 radiator) boiler serviced (condition of sale) we arrange to get this done instead asap. they say no. if we dont just get to exhange they will pull out.

Their EA explains vendor DH is aggressive and scary. he had 2 strokes and makes rash decisions. we say we cannot buy without service. they pull out put house on market. we concede tge boiler and fact they wont pay an indemnity and sale back on.

This week contracts on our sale returned for our buyer to sign... money transfered to bank for purchase and pencilled in completion next fri.

yesterday i happen to drive past vendors house.
Vendors for sale signs back up. i call agent. apparently her DH threw sold signs on EA desk in fury says he is marketing it til exchange papers are signed (not even had them yet from their end). EA confirmed they are scared of this massive agressive man. they tell me vendor has threatened to pull out again. i ask EA if the other three sales have fallen through and they have upset 3 agents because he has form for this. silence.

get home last night. vendors have got my address off paperwork and been round about 5pm while im picking kids up from club leaving a note with their number.

DH calls. vendors husband swearing abusive in background. wife says shes frustrated. trying to hurry it up. My DH us very calm and measured but vendors venting so he politely says bye.
i email all agents and solucitors to report this
Arghhhh what do i do today? moving is stressful but this is like a Channel 5 show the nightmare
vendors.

OP posts:

User543212345 · 10/02/2017 07:34

Pull out. There will be other houses. I expect they won't understand it's not their house anymore and will hassle you when you're in. Or worse.

My parents had similar when they bought their house and it turned out the vendors were doing a runner to Spain with lots of people's money. They had lots of threatening and upset people visit the property for up to a year afterwards. It was really distressing.

picklemepopcorn · 10/02/2017 07:34

No idea!
Is vendor's wife just ignoring him and getting on with it? Can you negotiate with her and the EA and leave him out of it?

Is the boiler service a deal breaker?

Badders123 · 10/02/2017 07:35

Walk away.
Seriously.
Walk away.

PunjanaTea · 10/02/2017 07:42

Pull out. Move into rented for senior application. Find a better house where you won't be pursued by debt collectors and an aggressive ex-owner.

ReginaGeorgeinSheepsClothing · 10/02/2017 07:43

Walk away!! We had such probs including in moving day then not being packed- and then they refused Mail redirection service and just expected to attend daily and collect mail! Definetly change all locks if you do go ahead!

PoohBearsHole · 10/02/2017 07:43

I think you mshould get find here that the stroke has been a major issue with all the "sales". It doesn't sound as if the wife is aggressive and more like she's trying to help?

That being said, there is no easy way of dealing with this as far as the dh is concerned - he is probably scared/ not liking change etc like a man toddler.

Go a head with your sake and start looking again, cant see how this will get resolved easily :) but you will be a cash buyer so more attractive to vendors

Badders123 · 10/02/2017 07:49

We pulled out of a sale where the vendors got weird on us...
Phone calls, notes through the door 😳
We rented for 4 months and found a much nicer house in a better area of the same town.
Good luck

thetoothfairywhoforgot · 10/02/2017 07:50

I've never come across a house with a charging order on it, never mind three. That suggests he is a tricky man, and has been for quite some time. What happened about them?

I'd probably walk away as he sounds the sort to cause trouble all the way down the line and after. What does your solicitor say?

Badders123 · 10/02/2017 07:52

(I felt very sorry for the vendors actually as they were moving due to a family bereavement but imo that made their actions out of character and perhaps not what they would have normally done? As far as I know we were the third party to pull out - like you there were lots of issues needed sorting and they were willing - and they are still living at the house 5 years after....)

Original poster

Middleoftheroad · 10/02/2017 07:52

Thanks - i understand the wife has to calm him down. Tge EA do deal with her but the fact she came round too is just reenforcing/enabling his behaviour.

OP posts:

Badders123 · 10/02/2017 07:53

That should say unwilling

Shakey15000 · 10/02/2017 07:55

As if house buying isn't stressful enough! I'm the type that would dig my heels in.

JoJoSM2 · 10/02/2017 07:56

Sounds like a nightmare... Personally, I'd probably go ahead since you're nearly there and not fuss over the boiler either. However, I would double check the implications of the charging order with my solicitor to make sure it's safe to proceed. Speaking of the scenarios mentioned above, I wouldn't allow someone to collect their post (return to sender instead) and would make it very clear they weren't welcome to turn up - if that becomes a problem and the man makes a neusance of himself, you can always call the police. Although by the sound of it, it should be fine since their intention is to move away.

Original poster

Middleoftheroad · 10/02/2017 07:58

We conceded on the boiler as didn't want to lose.

our buyer is due to move in next Fri and school deadline is March 1 (before then if we want them to process our address etc)

knowing how rash he is, i fully expect them to say (again) they are pulling out. feel like saying so be it and moving to a rental. ours took a while to sell and I don't want to lose 2 sets of solicitors fees.

thw wife told my DH that her DH would have another stroke because of this which i think was mighty unfair.

OP posts:

RedBugMug · 10/02/2017 07:58

either exchange (with boiler service and indemnity) & completion by ...
or walk away. give them a day to agree.
then move into rented and find a much better house.

Finola1step · 10/02/2017 07:59

Pull out and look for a rental for school catchment. Do it today. If you go through with this purchase, I foresee it becoming a huge, costly problem.

RedBugMug · 10/02/2017 08:01

the threatening with health condition is a pretty typical abusive pattern

SnugglyBedSocks · 10/02/2017 08:10

Walk away.

After all this hassle and problems plus charging orders, could you ever feel really happy and settled there. Would it ever feel like your home?

Even though they say they are moving to Devon I wouldn't be surprised that come moving day that they hadn't actually gone as he'd "changed his mind"

Would also bother me that he'd keep turning up at the house if he did move out.

Original poster

Middleoftheroad · 10/02/2017 08:10

Thanks. I'm just exhausted. I think my boss is going to fire me if I get any more calls.

My DH loves the house. I'm not bothered as it's on a busy side school road and it was the only one in catchment.

EA said this guy becaming threatening when he tried to measure up. That's why they said no to our boiler service. I only realised how unstable he was the last few weeks. I understand he is not well but I wish I had been told about his anger before.

OP posts:

SnugglyBedSocks · 10/02/2017 08:13

Has your DH had to deal with any of the phone calls or abuse?

If not, he may not love the house quite so much if he did

MixedGrill · 10/02/2017 08:29

So have you exchanged with your buyers?

I would say to the wife that if you do not exchange on Monday, with a completion day for Friday, then you will pull out.

A stroke can cause personality change: I have seen two people become violent, angry and unreasonable as a result of stroke damage in the brain. But the wife needs to find a way to get round this.

If you want this house I would give them the Monday deadline. And then take out an injunction or non-molestation order the minute there is a problem. Though hopefully Devon is a long way from you.

HollySykes · 10/02/2017 08:39

Stop speaking directly with the Vendor, if he contacts you just say calmly that you are doing your best to sort it out and have instructed your solicitor. Is your solicitor any good? Proactive? If they are just get them to speak to Vendors solicitor and confirm you will forego the boiler service (was a bit petty btw) that you will sign the contract as soon has they're received and exchange that day so long as they provide the indemnity.

Let the solicitors do what they're paid to do.

If they say no to the indemnity it's not worth risking so you either pull out or sell your property and rent but don't buy without it.

HollySykes · 10/02/2017 08:39

I'm an EA btw

witwootoodleoo · 10/02/2017 08:40

I would start looking for rental pronto as you've got just under two weeks to find something and move in. If you let this drag too long there'll be no time left to find rental.

I don't think I'd want to live in that house regardless of how nice it is. I'm not at all woo but I bet it will have quite a negative energy about it and I wouldn't want the risk of what he does to the house before he moves out or him coming back to harass me.

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 10/02/2017 08:46

I really would walk away. Am I right in thinking they don't have the paperwork for the extension but also won't do an indemnity? If so, I would leg it out of there. Adding to that the reluctance to check the boiler, I really wouldn't buy a house without checking this, especially given all the other stuff going on. And the charging orders in themselves could be a frigging nightmare.

I'd really keep your sale and go into rented if at all possible.

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