9.10.2008

Welcome to the neighborhood. We're suing you!

Two months ago today, I left NY. We were moving out of our house the next morning, and selling it to this lovely family. We had just signed a contract to purchase the home above... a lovely tudor home in our dream school district. I packed our bags for what I thought would be a 3 week adventure in the West. Our contract had specified that we would close "on or around" August 15th, and I thought for sure it would be sooner than that. I even bought a pool pass ($650 smackers) because I was so sure we would be back to use it. I am a fool. I think Mr. T would pity me as much as I pity myself right now.

If you have tried to get a mortgage in the past few months, you know it's as easy as riding a bike through quicksand. It's hard, baby. We have excellent credit (the best Jim L. has ever seen, in fact), and still it took over 1.5 months to get Wells Fargo to approve our loan. As the deadline for school got closer, I realized I had to get back to NY, house or no house. Luckily our favorite peeps the Palmers had just relocated to our new neighborhood, so we shacked up with them and got registered for school and attempted to get on NY time. Which by the way is not easy when you have 6 kids under the age of 8 who think every night is a sleepover party.

Our loan was approved a few days after we arrived, and we were good to go. Then over Labor Day weekend, we found out that the neighbor to our new house is filing a lawsuit against the house because of some landscaping that was done a year ago. We have been fighting with their re-location company to add an addendum to the contract which would absolve us of any liability, but of course they are not going for it. Plus the re-location company is now stating that we have to close ASAP, or they will keep our MASSIVE deposit and we will be homeless. It feels a lot like we're screwed.

So if you've been wondering what I've been up to, there you go. I've gone through a few phases... denial, depression, sadness. This morning when I woke up I was MAD. We should be living in our dream house, riding our bikes to school each morning, and planning Calder's very belated b-day party. But instead we're mooching off our friends (again), and probably driving them crazy. My poor kids ask every day for their stuff... Star Wars Legos, Webkinz, bikes, etc. Not to mention that fall is coming, and I only packed for a 3 week summer vacation. We are really going to be in trouble if it rains all next week as forecast.

Sorry this wasn't a funny post. Maybe in a month I'll be back to my regularly scheduled (thought not so much lately) posting. I still have many fun things to report on from summer, and the first day of school, and all kinds of stuff. I just don't have any interest in it right now. In the meantime, let me leave you with this piece of advice: Don't buy a house in New York. Because the people here are crazy, and rich, which is a really bad combination.

Peace out.


10 comments:

Janice said...

Oh I am so sorry! That is just awful.

carrie said...

oh no! not the deposit...!
crimeny...

scout said...

what a nightmare Sara, so sorry! Just when I was about convinced to move to westchester...

em said...

This is crap! I'm so sorry honey. Have you tried contacting the city council or anything? Can you call me tomorrow? Also... My friend is the hatchet man of wells fargo mortgage so I'm bummed I didn't know all the issues... she could've helped. Call me! UGH! Life should be easier. Know that I will do anything I can. Also I'm pretty sure its been years since I've heard your voice and I MISS IT!!!! Em.

di said...

what in the world???

liz said...

that's so lame.

Anonymous said...

Relocation company? What the hell? Can't you deal with the former owners directly? It seems like you have cause for a lawsuit since they didn't disclose any of this to you.

Too bad Trav doesn't have a law degree.

Angela said...

Oh I am so sorry! I am so glad to have you in Edgemont. I hope everything works out soon for you to be in your OWN house!

Sally DeFord said...

Hangin there Sara. This house will be yours and you can ingnore the fact that you live next to a crazy person. I hope you still get the house and get money knocked off the price and the law suit just disapears into thin air.

Yah Yah said...

From experience I have to burst SAlly's bubble and proclaim that

YOU CAN NEVER IGNORE A PSYCHO NEIGHBOR.

Instead you may find yourself in mediation, having the police visit, and paying fines even AFTER said psycho neighbor has moved out and now is renting to someone else.