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Beyond belief

(80 Posts)
Luckygirl Mon 10-Feb-20 22:24:54

Many of you will know that I have just lost my husband and at the same time I am, for various reasons, selling my home and moving just a few miles down the road to where we formerly lived and where my husband is to be buried - and where all my friends are.

Buyers visited on Friday and Saturday, loved it, made a good offer. Now here is the unbelievable bit - while they were outside measuring the gateway (they have a vintage car) a man drew up in a car and told them not to buy the house and proceeded to regale them with lies about structural problems etc. I do not know who this man is and his statements are untrue.

I was gobsmacked!

I have talked with various people locally and it seems that when we bought the property 4 years ago a sale had just fallen through to a man who drastically reduced his offer at the 11th hour - the vendor told him to get on his bike, put the property straight back on the market and we bought it. I am told that this man was very angry that he got the push.

So I have to conclude that this is the man - and also that he is local. It feels really creepy to me, especially now that I am here on my own, that there is someone so unhinged and evil targeting my attempt to sell the property.

The estate agent is furious, and it looks as though the only way I can retain these buyers is by paying for a survey myself; understandably they do not want to expend money on a survey when they have already been led to believe that it might be unsatisfactory.

My finances are in bits at the moment: I have a final bill from the nursing home to pay (around £4k) ; my OH's pension has been frozen while they work out what I might get; his state pension has stopped; I have a funeral to pay for.......I am at a total loss as to what to do.

I am trying not to get angry about it as it will get me nowhere - but I truly did not need this bizarre twist of fate..

Missfoodlove Mon 10-Feb-20 22:31:58

Why not dig out the survey you had done four years ago and show it to the prospective buyers? This should put their minds at rest.

phoenix Mon 10-Feb-20 22:38:31

Oh Luckygirl as the saying goes, you need this like a hole in the head!

I wish I could offer some useful advice, but sending you good wishes and strength.

xx

Elegran Mon 10-Feb-20 22:44:37

I second the advice to dig out that 4-year-old survey and show it to the possible buyers - and also tell them why you think that man was trying to put them off. Maybe he hopes to buy it from you at a vastly reduced price once he has scared them off? Refer them to neighbours, too. They will back up what you tell them. Don't just cave in. He doesn't deserve to win.

If you can identify him positively, a solicitor's letter might be possible, though you do need to be very sure you get the right man.

Ginny42 Mon 10-Feb-20 22:47:46

What a mean and vindictive thing to do! Was he trespassing? I too would be very shocked if someone treated me like that. There are some b*****ds in this world and he's one of them. Nothing to do with him.

Would it be worth having a chat with the local PSO if there is one and just alerting them to the incident? He may be well known.

cornergran Mon 10-Feb-20 23:31:30

Yes, dig out the four year old survey lucky, surely enough to put their minds at rest. I wonder if asked they might remember any details about the car. Whether or not this is the same man his words were a fabrication that your well-being is threatened by. Definitely worth a chat with the PCSO. I’m so sorry this has happened.

Hetty58 Mon 10-Feb-20 23:43:16

You really don't need a new survey. If you're sure that this man has absolutely nothing to to with the estate agent (how did he know when buyers would be there?) I'd just let the agent show people around and be out somewhere else.

notanan2 Mon 10-Feb-20 23:53:54

You'll be appointing a solicitor for the sale so speak to them about it.

Horrible man. Get your solicitor up to speed on it x

Feelingmyage55 Tue 11-Feb-20 00:08:13

Oh luckygirl How awful. However I do remember you had a relative/friend who was willing to help you over fees. Could/would you late this person help you out while you settle probate, sale etc. I think you will find that funeral directors are willing to wait for the settlement of the bill, knowing that accounts are frozen. Ask - they can only say no. Also perhaps speak to your potential sponsor. People don’t make offers like that lightly. I guess your DDs aren’t in a position to help. I know it shouldn’t be the case but I would bet this man wouldn’t have behaved like this if one of your SILs had been there. I shall be thinking of you.

BradfordLass73 Tue 11-Feb-20 03:15:28

Having just read the thread where so many people seem to delight in getting revenge, this gives the other side of the coin.

You'll beat this, just as you've beaten everything else. It's what you do.

But what a pain in the fundament it is when you least need it.
Would Restraining Order help?

rosecarmel Tue 11-Feb-20 06:15:18

It's highly unlikely that the man is acting on his own- Nobody shows up just in time to speak with prospective buyers while they're outside the property-

If he is acting alone, he is stalking-

Either way, the police need to be involved-

Sara65 Tue 11-Feb-20 07:09:19

How absolutely horrible.

We were once in the process of buying a house when we heard in a very odd way that the house had serious structural problems, we loved it, so straight away arranged another survey, turned out it was true!
But the point is, if they really like it, they won’t take the word of some random nutcase, they’ll check it out for themselves.

vampirequeen Tue 11-Feb-20 07:16:25

This is awful. It's not revenge. It's a vindictive attack. I'm guessing that his plan is to make you desperate to leave then put in a ridiculous offer. As others have said, show potential buyers your 4 year old survey and.talk to your local PCSO.

Hetty58 Tue 11-Feb-20 07:30:14

I suspect that somebody (neighbour, 'friend', estate agent or relative) has something to gain from the (fast and cheap) sale of your house. Try not to be panicked or overwhelmed by it and take time to make decisions.

NfkDumpling Tue 11-Feb-20 07:42:36

I agree you should tell the police. How did the man know, and is he planning to step in with a low offer? If he knows the police are interested he should back off.

And, of course, dig out that survey.

eazybee Tue 11-Feb-20 08:53:36

This is dreadful for you.
Something similar happened to friends who owned part of a Mill conversion; this man owned a third and was putting prospective buyers off so that he could buy the rest of the property, which he eventually did. But he was rather more subtle about it, simply discouraging other buyers, and paid a realistic price for the property.
Report it to the police, and see if you can gather information to counter any subsequent attacks.

BlueSky Tue 11-Feb-20 08:59:26

Sorry to hear this Luckygirl as if you needed added stress at this time! People's evil behaviour never ceases to amaze me. You've already been given very good advice from the other posters so go for it. Get all the help you can don't try to struggle on your own.

Hetty58 Tue 11-Feb-20 09:07:52

I knew an estate agent very well. The market encourages them to work for their own interests - not yours!

They like fast turnover. It's far more profitable for them than gaining the highest price and commission. Bear that in mind. The chap I knew would resort to all kinds of dirty tricks.

Luckygirl Tue 11-Feb-20 09:17:00

There was no survey 4 years ago - I know, don't say it - I just have to deal with the situation I am in.

Estate agent - it is in his and my interests to get a sale here as he is selling the new-build that I am buying.

Greymar Tue 11-Feb-20 09:28:20

Take a very deep breath. I wonder ( kindly) if you are expecting too much of yourself here too soon.

Please get support from family members.

Sadly some people seem to have an uncanny knack of homing in on somebody when you are vulnerable.

MawB Tue 11-Feb-20 09:31:16

TBH the only survey that counts is that paid for by the purchaser because they then have redress against him/her if a problem appears after the purchase. A survey commissioned by the vendor could easily be “biased”.
Did you have a mortgage when you moved ? (Sorry, personal question) or were you cash buyers?
If a building society was involved they will have conducted their own survey (not a detailed one) to verify that the property was worth what they were lending.
I think your agents should be helping you here and perhaps contacting the prospective purchasers to fill them in.

As for funeral expenses, it is quite normal for these to be paid out of the estate (wake included) and unless your husband’s Will is complicated the funeral directors should be billing the executors/solicitors or, if it comes to you, pass it on to the solicitor.
(I dreaded the admin after Paw died but found it all proceeded very smoothly, everyone was very understanding and did all they could to help me - bank, solicitor etc
Many people said I could have done it all myself, arranging probate and so on, but I was happy to leave it to somebody who knew what she was doing - £1000 well spent IMO. )

Greymar Tue 11-Feb-20 09:35:19

www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once

Auntieflo Tue 11-Feb-20 09:42:31

I am so sorry to hear about another worry for you Lucky, and I have nothing to add apart from being as the same opinion as those who have already posted, with wise advice.
This is a wicked thing to have done to you.
Hoping that you manage to smooth things over with the prospective buyers, and that they do get their own survey done.

MawB Tue 11-Feb-20 09:43:34

Greymar the Just Tell is Once thing isn’t good, i was given the form and explanatory leaflet when I went to register the death.
Another piece of good advice was to get several copies of the death certificate at the time, as you have to send them to so many people and while they are always returned, it can cause delays. Copies ordered subsequently cost a lot more than at the time of registering a death.

Elegran Tue 11-Feb-20 09:43:52

"Estate agent - it is in his and my interests to get a sale here as he is selling the new-build that I am buying." That doesn't preclude it being in the estate agent's interests for the sale to be to the man who buttonholed your buyers. You don't know what connection they may have - family, friend, special client.

There is also a further point that you don't know what connection the man had with the prospective buyers - is it possible that it could all be a set-up? Nothing is impossible.

Tell the estate agent about this invasion, (adding pointedly that you have no idea how he knew that there would be viewers looking seriously at the house at that particular moment in time) but bite the bullet and get a survey done - inform the buyers that you are doing so, and explain that it is to clear the air. If this sale falls through, you will then be well-prepared for the next (he sounds malign enough to do it again), and it will prevent the current viewers from possibly lowering their bid on the mere suspicion of problems.

And tell the police, there may be some criminal or illegal activity going on.