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Original poster

Seller is a pr*ck and left his hot tub in our garden

87 replies

slimshadyscousin · 27/07/2023 20:38

Completed on a house last week and seller left his hot tub in the garden which was not agreed and not expected. Doesn’t seem in a massive rush to get it removed despite going through solicitors and also contacting him directly for updates on its removal. I feel at a loss…what do I do?

OP posts:
Zebedee999 · 27/07/2023 21:33

Usually contracts say anything left like that can be disposed of at the seller's cost (not your's as the buyer). Your solicitor will know.

Batalax · 27/07/2023 21:36

One week to remove or it goes. Longer is too generous.

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 27/07/2023 21:37

Sex ponds are very difficult to remove, they usually require some kind of hiab, which are ££££s to hire. I'd would put pressure on him to remove it.

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/07/2023 21:39

I agree that the quickest way to get rid of it to start an ebay auction at a penny and send him the link.

But legally it is still his so you do need to follow the correct processes. Neighbours had a similar issue and were warned against just chucking stuff out and they had to get a letter sent recorded (IIRC). You say that you are giving him (say) a month to collect it at a cost of £X per day (your solictor will advise you) and if it is not collected within this period you will consider the property to be yours and will dispose of it as you wish, and will pursue him for the costs of storage and disposal.

THEN you can legally sell it. Do it before then and he could actually end up suing you, wrong as that seems.

AGovernmentOfLawsAndNotMen · 27/07/2023 21:47

I’m assuming the hot tub was specifically excluded from the sale, on a written document signed by the seller.
If it was he should take it
If it wasn’t it’s yours.

Some posters have commented properties have to be sold with vacant procession .
Thats not true.
Owners can leave everything behind if they wish. It’s up to you if you want to buy it with everything but if you don’t then they’ll sell to someone else. Our current home had wardrobes and a piano. The owners didn’t even fill out the contents form. We were fine with that as we wanted it.

So what’s left behind is usually agreed with the purchaser, but not always. Sometimes the property is, site as seen.

Anything left in the house becomes yours at the point of sale with the seller removing it prior to handing over the keys, unless both parties have made an agreement re late removal.

Dombasle · 27/07/2023 21:50

The threat of charging storage costs is silly and probably isn't enforceable.

No one is going to be frightened by that.

A simple message of 'If you collect it by x date, we are disposing of it as we see fit. Please contact to arrange a time for collection and do not just turn up without warning.'

cheekyduck · 27/07/2023 21:50

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/07/2023 21:39

I agree that the quickest way to get rid of it to start an ebay auction at a penny and send him the link.

But legally it is still his so you do need to follow the correct processes. Neighbours had a similar issue and were warned against just chucking stuff out and they had to get a letter sent recorded (IIRC). You say that you are giving him (say) a month to collect it at a cost of £X per day (your solictor will advise you) and if it is not collected within this period you will consider the property to be yours and will dispose of it as you wish, and will pursue him for the costs of storage and disposal.

THEN you can legally sell it. Do it before then and he could actually end up suing you, wrong as that seems.

What nonsense...the correct process is to follow your contract and sell it without a big old hottub left behind!!

When you sell a property you sell with vacant possesion!!! If its not listed as an item the seller is leaving, he can't sue if you then sell it, he'll have no case!

Get rid OP, there's f-all the seller can do about it legally, who the fuck would go to court over an old hot tub?? And as I said, no court in the land would side with him if you dispose of, the opposite is true, you have a perfectly good legal case to dispose of and pursue him for costs incurred.

Im99912 · 27/07/2023 21:55

It depends on how easy access is to get it out
I paid almost 1k last year to put my hot tub in my garden
So if it needs to be taken over the roof of the house your looking at around 500 -1k depending on where it’s being delivered

you could always get a sledge hammer & grinder and chop it up
be warned - it took my husband a week to do exactly this when we wanted to get rid of our old hot tub
😂😂

Paul2023 · 27/07/2023 21:56

I may be naive here but I’d assume if someone sold their house to me, they’d leave the hot tub there , unless it was specifically mentioned it wasn’t.
I’d just sell it but mention they’re responsible for the transport of it.

Im99912 · 27/07/2023 21:57

most likely
He probably doesn’t want it any more and the cost of him removing it would be expensive so he’s just hoping you will sort it out

PinkFootstool · 27/07/2023 21:58

Is it a big solid one or a cheap inflatable tub?

If it's a solid one, he may well never return for it. If it needs to be craned out it'll cost thousands to remove it....

Get your solicitor on it ASAP.

Im99912 · 27/07/2023 21:58

Paul2023 · 27/07/2023 21:56

I may be naive here but I’d assume if someone sold their house to me, they’d leave the hot tub there , unless it was specifically mentioned it wasn’t.
I’d just sell it but mention they’re responsible for the transport of it.

depends I wouldn’t leave mine as it cost around 9k
last summer
but if it was in say a few years time when it’s not with much I would probably leave it

JenWillsiam · 27/07/2023 22:00

cheekyduck · 27/07/2023 21:50

What nonsense...the correct process is to follow your contract and sell it without a big old hottub left behind!!

When you sell a property you sell with vacant possesion!!! If its not listed as an item the seller is leaving, he can't sue if you then sell it, he'll have no case!

Get rid OP, there's f-all the seller can do about it legally, who the fuck would go to court over an old hot tub?? And as I said, no court in the land would side with him if you dispose of, the opposite is true, you have a perfectly good legal case to dispose of and pursue him for costs incurred.

Show quote history

As usual people talking as if they know stuff when they do not.

https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/seller-left-personal-property-in-house-what-can-you-legally-do-6018

Seller left personal property in house - what can you legally do?

Can you keep it or should you sue the seller for the costs to remove? Find out what to do if the seller left personal property in house

https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/seller-left-personal-property-in-house-what-can-you-legally-do-6018

susan123graeme · 27/07/2023 22:05

??? Big deal - someone has left you a free item - why the dramalama ??

Twiglets1 · 27/07/2023 22:07

susan123graeme · 27/07/2023 22:05

??? Big deal - someone has left you a free item - why the dramalama ??

Cause it will cost @slimshadyscousin money to get it removed?

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/07/2023 22:12

I didnt say someone would go to court over a hot tub but that they COULD. There are people who will sue for twenty years over a strip of garden two inches wide, so nothing would surprise me.

As far as the OP is concerned, she needs to protect herself legally because right now the hot tub is still the sellers property. She could just sell it and hope for the best, but she would be risking it to do that. All it takes it the proper process to be followed, and she will be covered.

AGovernmentOfLawsAndNotMen · 27/07/2023 22:12

Info / your legal rights from Citizens advice

Seller is a pr*ck and left his hot tub in our garden
DaisyThistle · 27/07/2023 22:13

Why all the faff of chasing him and giving him time to collect it. He doesn't want it. If he did, he'd have removed it. Just offer it to someone who will collect.

Daisymay2 · 27/07/2023 22:18

DS has a friend who bought a house which included a hot tub but it was expensive to use, even before fuel price rises. Couldn’t sell it or give it away. Ended up breaking it up and reused some bits and dumping the rest.

mumda · 27/07/2023 22:19

Just checked on Fb marketplace here. No free ones.

SparklyLeprechaun · 27/07/2023 22:22

One house we bought, the seller left lots of tatty furniture behind, plus a garden shed full of junk. We didn't go through the conveyancer, but complained to the estate agents, who said it's unacceptable and sent a van the next day and took everything away. No idea if they charged the seller for the disposal, but I was very impressed.

susan123graeme · 27/07/2023 22:33

Ok - sorry - I'm in a EU country and you can dispose of this freely

Sunflowers765 · 27/07/2023 22:38

Can't you just get in it and enjoy??!!

vera99 · 27/07/2023 22:38

Have a sex party with your neighbours to break the ice. 😁

BigDaddio · 27/07/2023 22:41

Get it sold !