Legal assistance/advice... please [View All]

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

Ok... I'll try to make a long story short.

My parents recently relocated from NC to IL for work. They found a couple who signed a purchasing agreement to buy their house in NC. All parties signed this agreement.

Closing is supposedly set for tomorrow. My dad took a week off work (he gets paid by the days he works; he is a contract worker) to go to NC with my mom for closing and to move the furniture from their house into storage.

Apparently, the husband buyer was the only one who saw the house. Now, a little side note about the house: my parents have a very contemporary sense of style that utilizes intriguing paint effects, mosaic tiles, etc. A lot of work went into this house.

The wife buyer went to the house for the first time this Monday with a painter and a mason. She wanted an estimate on taking out all the paint effects, colors, cork, crown moulding, tiles, etc. (her prerogative, of course) to paint the house all white and have no crown mouldings.

Well, yesterday the realtor tells my parents that the buyers are no longer interested in the house.

Now, keep in mind that closing is supposed to occur tomorrow. My parents theorize that this woman received the estimate and the cost was too high, so she changed her mind.

The realtor has come up with excuses such as: (1) they were not able to sell their house (and they find out now, 2 days before closing???); (2) they can't get the mortgage amount they want (again, 2 days before closing, when the attorney is cutting checks and all various disclosures have been prepared???); etc etc...

Now, let me emphasize the enormous expenses my parents are going through when they can least afford it. Their furniture being moved to storage cost $3000. They drove from IL to NC. My dad took a whole week off (meaning, no pay for the week). Now, they also have to deal with the potentially devastating issue of having to pay a mortgage they thought it was no longer their problem.

Any suggestions? Comments? Legal recourse?