Buying a house from a couple going though a divorce!!

Thrugelmir

kiddy_guy wrote: »

Hold on a sec - has exchange happened though? If so surely some form of financial recourse?

Not in a position to exchange yet. Let alone agree a completion date.

Hoploz

Kateandgez wrote: »

Hoploz, thank you, that gives me some reassurance.
How long in total did it take?
Thanks, Katie

We viewed in January, offered. He decided asking price too low. Said they'd sell in March. Offered more in March (what he had wanted in Jan) He still wasn't selling and said they'd sell in May. May came and went while we continued to look elsewhere (our buyer waiting patiently) Eventually first week of July we got the call from the EA. Mr had by then moved out and Mrs just wanted it sold ASAP (she would have sold in the Jan if it'd been up to her) Then an open day and multiple offers, then bidding war ... EA urged them to take our offer over a chain free similar offer as we'd waited so long, had our buyer in place etc. So legal process began mid July and we moved end of Sept.

Different to you as we hadn't got as far in the beginning, but your seller would be foolish to throw in the towel on an almost-done-deal when the sale is in the end inevitable, and with the deadlines you've given, which are just about realistic , hopefully they will pull their fingers out and get sorted.

Good luck

kiddy_guy

Possibly but it does say completion set for next Friday. zOP needs to clarify.

anselld

kiddy_guy wrote: »

Possibly but it does say completion set for next Friday. zOP needs to clarify.

The OP states ...

Kateandgez wrote: »

Our solicitors rang today to inform us that the "husband" has never even signed

.. so they cannot have exchanged.

AnnieO1234

Is there a potential here that the other side's solicitors didn't even know the husband was part owner?

I would walk away, no run I think. Unless you can afford to wait and wait on their outcome which may even be that the husband wants even more money or chooses to buy the wife out.

=( xxx

Davesnave

Start to look elsewhere , but don't write it off..... yet.

People in the husband's position often have one immediate reaction and then manage to rationalise it over a reasonably short time.

We bought from a divorcing couple. He wasn't happy with the price, but he soon came round to a more rational view.

OTOH, some years ago, the best property we ever saw and offered on was owned by a divorcing couple. When they actually had a sale in their hands, it scared them to death and they decided to go to Relate instead!

getmore4less

They need a nudge from their solicitors and EA they could have the money in the bank, if they don't it will take longer and more costs to get back to where they are today.

Hubby is using the refusal to sign as leverage to get more not a good sign.

Keep looking but make sure they know when you find something the deal is dead, if nothing in a week or two tell them you have make their mind up time to see if that triggers can always unfind somewhere.

Divorce and probate sale both suffer from lack of motivated seller syndrome.

ellie27

We bought our house from a divorcing couple. He lived in the house and the woman had not lived in the house for around a year.....the house was on and off the market for over a year......alarm bells should have rang for us but we liked the house.

We offered and had to wait a few days to hear back as the woman had to then try get in touch with her ex.....

Anyway, it wall went smoothly. We had our offer accepted mid-April and were in the house in the date we had suggested mid-June.

I hope it all goes as well for you

Richard_Webster

Hindsight, I know - but for others it can't be emphasised too much always to ask the sellers (not the estate agents who will tell you anything) why they are selling. Be suspicious of any reasons that don't add up. If one of them never seems to be there but both are registered proprietors of the property then why is that?

Better to avoid divorce cases. They can even tell you everything is amicable and then the man goes to his solicitor who says that it would be wise to get a court order to enshrine any financial agreement so she can't come back and ask for more later. Such a consent order can still take a few months to get - while you are waiting to move.

Fosterdog

We viewed a house three years ago that we were interested in making an offer on, it had already been on the market for two years at that point and we couldn't understand why it hadn't sold. It needed a bit of updating but was a fantastic house for the price.

One viewing is all it took to put us off, it was on the market because the couple were divorcing, she had already moved out but he was still living there. It was obvious he had no intentions of actually moving out, he didn't even bother to even slightly tidy the house before our viewing and basically told us he doesn't want to leave.

We decided not to offer and the house is still on the market today with him still living there so it is now five years it has been on the market with one sale falling through (I don't know why) and no other offers.

We decided then that we would avoid any house that was being sold due to divorce if one person was still living there, it is not worth the stress and hassle.