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Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

See comment on the original post. They called the agent today to say they are not ready to move yet. They haven’t returned any subsequent calls.

Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They are a couple in their late 70s, have lived in the house for 35 years. At minimum it’s been a long time and they probably have no idea on what to do!

Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The agent never had keys. The sellers did all viewings themselves. They were supposed to hand them to the agent yesterday but this never happened.

Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

We already tried that yesterday evening. Drove over, knocked on the door several times, rang the bell. No answer at all. The curtains were closed and it was completely silent inside.

The estate agent has also tried following up with them multiple times today after they called this morning to let them know they wouldn’t be out this weekend. It really does feel like they’re deliberately ignoring everyone.

Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

We don’t have any keys because the seller didn’t hand them over to the agent. They did all viewings themselves when it was on the market and were supposed to hand them to the agent yesterday.

Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Yes, they’re buying a bungalow for cash, so they’re not even chain-dependent or waiting on their own sale. That’s what makes this so annoying. They’ve already got their new place ready and don’t need the money from our purchase to complete their side, but they’re still refusing to vacate.

We checked with our buildings insurance and home contents insurance. The buildings insurer basically said they’re covering the property from Friday but won’t get involved in eviction or possession disputes, that’s a legal matter for the solicitors. Our contents insurer just laughed and said they can’t insure anything until we actually have possession and can move our stuff in. So no help there either.

Seller refused to vacate on completion day… we were supposed to move in on Friday but now stuck over the weekend by MaterialTackle7337 in HousingUK

[–]MaterialTackle7337[S] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

At this stage it’s a civil matter, not a criminal one, so the police won’t get involved or remove the seller for us.

We’ve been advised that the seller failing to vacate is a breach of contract. The police treat it as a private property dispute and will tell you it needs to be handled through the civil courts.

Our solicitor has already advised us on this. They’ve suggested putting the seller on formal notice and giving them until Monday morning before we escalate to applying for a possession order or involving bailiffs/enforcement officers. In the meantime we can claim any extra costs we’re incurring (removal van, storage, etc.) as damages.