Posted on 05/14/2002 5:05:40 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
If they have been maintaining the property for an extended period of time (and it sounds like they've been doing that since the homes were built) then they could argue implied posession and argue that they should be able to buy out the speculator under hostile circumstances for what he payed for the property.
My brother and sister in-law had to deal with an issue like this once after they bought an older home. The only thing that saved their butts was that the issue wasn't brought up until AFTER they had already purchased the home. Had the "neighbor" begun legal proceedings before they bought it they would have had a hell of a fight on their hands in court.
Then why does he take them down for $30k? Your supposition is rather faulty.
The truth is the guy is a jerk! They won't pay him so he is trying to get back at them.
And everyone will be on the lookout for this guy. He will have so many complaints for all his property all over the state, he will get his just rewards.
One of my favorites is "What goes around comes around"!
Then why is he dismantling them for $30k? Face it, this is extortion. You can dress it up in fancy patterns but it is still extortion.
I didn't say a word but I will. This is slimeball's using the system to his advantage. Slimeballs are everywhere. There's one here in Houston who bought a free and clear home (aprox. value 150K, I believe) for $5k. over a disputed homeowners bill (inflated by lawyer's bills). It has been resolved in court and her home was returned. Her lawyer is currently suing to have all her expenses to fight this case covered.
At the onset of the Houston case, it came out early on, that the man who purchased her home at auction has hundreds of these properties and uses them as rentals. It was also disclosed that he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes on these rental properties. People like this man, work the system both ways.
It boils down to buyer beware - owner beware.
And in some cases, you can get a twofer! lol
These idiots didn't pay attention to the details of their property. They should just stop whining and cough up the dough!
About 20 years ago, I purchased a portion of the lake bottom behind my lot from the developer. Some neighbors said "I'm not going to pay for what I already have" (it only cost $200 at the time). In order to make sure that the entire lake was purchased from the developer and not subject to being acquired by who knows who, several of my neighbors and I purchased portions of the lake which others refused to buy.
Now, 20 years later, the Florida drought has greatly diminished the size of the lake and some property owners who refused to buy their portion of the lake bottom now have NO WATERFRONT AT ALL (their property lines are hundreds of feet from the remaining lake)! Should the drought continue, these acres of lake bottom will eventually be farmed or grazed by cattle owned by those who had the foresight to purchase them.
The obstinate property owners "saved" $200 each and now have seen their property values decline by $20 - $30 THOUSAND EACH!
Sounds like The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. A fantastic novel for anyone looking for something to read.
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