Some friends are in a REALLY tough spot!

[ChrizJen]

We have some close friends who recently moved with their children and an elderly parent cross-country to take a university teaching job in another state. We were all very exited as this was a great opportunity for them.

Once the position was accepted, they found a great house to rent in their new town. They weren't able to make it out there to actually see the house first, but saw pictures and fell in love with the place. It was the perfect size, with a guest house/cabin out back for the elderly mother to live in. It was perfect.
So they got out there, got moved in and unpacked and settled in. The kids started school, and the new teaching job is going great.
Then they get a letter in the mail yesterday informing that the house in which they're living is being foreclosed upon and they have 30 days to vacate! It's to be sold at auction!!

And that's not even the worst part! What's even worse is that they paid the owner up front for an entire year of rent!! $17,000!!!
They've tried contacting the owner, and cannot get ahold of her. So now they're forced to find another place to rent and pick up and move in a town where they don't know anyone. AND they're likely out $17,000 that they'll never see again!!
I feel so horrible for them. I cannot even fathom being in their shoes right now. I just feel sick for them...

ETA...I should also add they also have two houses (the one they lived in here and a vacation home in another state) that they haven't been able to sell yet. So they're still paying mortgages on those houses as well!!!

 

[HM]

So sad.

What possessed them to even think about paying a year up-front?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

While I do feel sad about your friend's situation you have to ask yourself why they would pay them 1 yrs worth of rent up front. They should have saw that red flag coming.

Hope it works out for them.

 

[ChrizJen]

I don't know. I'm not even sure of all of the specific details (like did they sign some sort of lease agreement?) I only spoke with them briefly on the phone last night and they were (obviously) in a panic and very upset.

I'll have to get more details from them. But they are very intelligent, extremely money savvy people, and I cannot in a million years imagine they would ever enter into something like this lightly.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

Is it possible for them to put a lien on the house, to be paid after the sale?

 

[ChrizJen]

That's the big question I had though. I just cannot see them paying $17,000 up front to someone they've never met in person without some sort of failsafe in place. But from the brief conversation we had, I gathered that they're not expecting to recover any of that money. I expect they'll get a lawyer and have her tracked down. But I'm sure she no longer has that money. So they best they can hope for is to press charges and have her arrested.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I think they should get a lawyer.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't know. I'm not even sure of all of the specific details (like did they sign some sort of lease agreement?) I only spoke with them briefly on the phone last night and they were (obviously) in a panic and very upset.

I'll have to get more details from them. But they are very intelligent, extremely money savvy people, and I cannot in a million years imagine they would ever enter into something like this lightly.

You know, they sound like they got conned. It happens.

 

[ChrizJen]

Is it possible for them to put a lien on the house, to be paid after the sale?

I hadn't thought about that. I'm not sure how that works since the house will be in foreclosure and will auctioned off.
But I'm sure if that's an option, their attorney will make sure it's done.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Illinois is in the process of giving renters more rights. I believe that they may have a chance that the bank will let them stay if they have a signed lease. Also, in Illinois, I believe you get 90 days to vacate.

Not sure what state your friends live in, but they should call the Attorney General's Office and see what rights they have.

 

[dodukes]

wow how incredibly upset would i be...but yeah i think the paying up front for one year was a HUGE red flag.

 

[ChrizJen]

You know, they sound like they got conned. It happens.

You're right. It just really sucks to see bad things happen to good people. There are some really awful people in this world.
I do believe in karma, and this woman will get what she has coming to her one way or another. But that, unfortunately will likely not help my friends out much...

 

[MushyMushy]

Oh my, how horrible for your friends. I really hope they are able to recoup that money in some way. I can't even imagine.

When DH and I first moved in together, we paid 3 months in advance for our place and lost that as well. Not nearly as painful a lesson as what your friends are going through.

 

[dodukes]

You're right. It just really sucks to see bad things happen to good people. There are some really awful people in this world.
I do believe in karma, and this woman will get what she has coming to her one way or another. But that, unfortunately will likely not help my friends out much...

I'm thinking it may be likely she didn't even owned the house or that she used fake names. Im thinking the chances of finding her again are about slim to none.

 

[clutter]

I wonder if the 'landlord' actually owned the house to begin with. Perhaps someone knew it was empty, to be foreclosed on, and managed to get a key.

 

[scrapquitler]

And that's not even the worst part! What's even worse is that they paid the owner up front for an entire year of rent!! $17,000!!!
They've tried contacting the owner, and cannot get ahold of her. So now they're forced to find another place to rent and pick up and move in a town where they don't know anyone. AND they're likely out $17,000 that they'll never see again!!
I feel so horrible for them. I cannot even fathom being in their shoes right now. I just feel sick for them...

Yikes. I guess they will be suing the landlord, unfortunately, after they win they probably won't be able to collect it. And I can't imagine paying the full years rent upfront.

 

[ChrizJen]

Illinois is in the process of giving renters more rights. I believe that they may have a chance that the bank will let them stay if they have a signed lease. Also, in Illinois, I believe you get 90 days to vacate.

Not sure what state your friends live in, but they should call the Attorney General's Office and see what rights they have.

They're in Oregon. I'll have to mention that to them.

 

[barkley]

I wonder if the 'landlord' actually owned the house to begin with. Perhaps someone knew it was empty, to be foreclosed on, and managed to get a key.

that's a big scam in one of the towns we used to live near. people watching the houses that are vacant and then setting them up on craigs list or other sites as available rentals.

the local newpaper in that town started running regular front page articles on the problem b/c they hoped that someone from out of the area looking to relocate there might be checking out the local newspaper for rentals and would be forewarned.

when we rented a private home, the first thing i did when i located one i was interested in was check the property assessors site to see who the legal owner was. if the person representing themself as the owner had tried to go by a different name or asked for the deposit/rent to be issued in any name other than what was on the assessors site it would have been a no-go.

with the way foreclosures are these days it would'nt be a bad idea for a prospective renter to demand to view the most recent mortgage statement from an owner.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

with the way foreclosures are these days it would'nt be a bad idea for a prospective renter to demand to view the most recent mortgage statement from an owner.

Good idea. Of course they might say no.

 

[canopynut66]

We have some close friends who recently moved with their children and an elderly parent cross-country to take a university teaching job in another state. We were all very exited as this was a great opportunity for them.

Once the position was accepted, they found a great house to rent in their new town. They weren't able to make it out there to actually see the house first, but saw pictures and fell in love with the place. It was the perfect size, with a guest house/cabin out back for the elderly mother to live in. It was perfect.
So they got out there, got moved in and unpacked and settled in. The kids started school, and the new teaching job is going great.
Then they get a letter in the mail yesterday informing that the house in which they're living is being foreclosed upon and they have 30 days to vacate! It's to be sold at auction!!

And that's not even the worst part! What's even worse is that they paid the owner up front for an entire year of rent!! $17,000!!!
They've tried contacting the owner, and cannot get ahold of her. So now they're forced to find another place to rent and pick up and move in a town where they don't know anyone. AND they're likely out $17,000 that they'll never see again!!
I feel so horrible for them. I cannot even fathom being in their shoes right now. I just feel sick for them...

ETA...I should also add they also have two houses (the one they lived in here and a vacation home in another state) that they haven't been able to sell yet. So they're still paying mortgages on those houses as well!!!

This very thing has been on CNN and HLN for quite sometime where scam artists doing this and some renting out property that is NOT even theirs where they had keys made then they show it and then rent it take the money and are gone by the time the police come to see why they living in the house in question. These people need a good lawyer and contact the Mortgage company as well. Maybe they should have looked at it first BUT!!!! that is not protecting a lot of other people according to the news reports on this newest scam news was saying this very bad in Florida and California where foreclosures are highest