Zachary Miller6 said:Hey everyone! I haven't checked this thread in a little while...
Anyway, I went ahead and hired an attorney, and he actually told me the exact opposite of what my acquaintance claimed. When I mentioned "sleeping better," I didn't mean that I'm doing absolutely nothing; I just meant I can feel a bit more at peace knowing there's actually a path forward—that everything hasn't just vanished into thin air.
So, basically, my lawyer suggested we might be able to transfer the debt to the seller's new property, even if she isn't officially registered yet (though, given what you said, that's a whole other question), or perhaps sue the real estate agency to recoup the losses since their mistake started this entire nightmare.
In the meantime, I found out that the foreclosure request was filed just ten days after I signed the contract—meaning it happened before I even received that first official notice.
As for the property taxes, I paid those right away during those first few days.
To everyone popping in here just to criticize me: please, go mind your own business instead.
Look, you probably won't be checking this thread again, but please help me understand how the agency could be at fault if the lien was filed only ten days after you signed the contract?
That implies the title was perfectly clear and free of any liens at the moment the contract was drafted, so the agency isn't really responsible for that.
Real estate agencies aren't tasked with auditing a seller's tax history, nor can they, and the county recorder doesn't do it either because people have a right to register ownership regardless of whether they've settled their tax bills.
On top of that, you paid the taxes on the property and then, get this... the IRS didn't bother to verify the property details, but they certainly found the time to slap a lien on it... and you aren't holding them accountable?
Those were all valid grounds for a lawsuit or an appeal, but you just didn't take advantage of them.
The whole situation feels a bit stretched anyway, considering the IRS takes quite a while to act before a lien is finally issued—we're talking at least three or four years.