DC
My husband passed away last month and I'd like to sell our house which has my name also on the title and in his will. Long story short, we've had a problem with a "friend" of ours who had the key to our house and brought drifters/homeless people to our basement to live for extended periods of time.
Right now we have one man who has lived there for about 2 years. He was homeless before (living under a bridge) and still is unemployed. He didn't ask our permission to move in. The basement has water, but no heat, kitchen, or bathroom. We were worried about him starting a fire and asked that he not cook down there. He has since set up a microwave, hot plate, and TV, he's quite comfortable. He intimidated us and told us not to enter the basement and even threatened to set the house on fire if we kick him out.
My potential buyer said he has to be out before they will close the deal. I'm rather in a hurry to sell this house so I can give some of the sale money to my daughter so she can buy her first home and my room at a retirement home will be available at the end of the year (I will find temporary housing in the meantime). But I've made an agreement with the potential buyer that I could remain here through the summer.
I can't simply ask him to leave, he won't. If I got the police involved, he could come back and retaliate. After all he has tons of property in there and has no where to go. He'll be angry with me because he sees that I'm still in the house. A real estate agent told me he has legal rights and could cause problems and force the sale price of my house to go down. I don't know what to do? please help!
My husband passed away last month and I'd like to sell our house which has my name also on the title and in his will. Long story short, we've had a problem with a "friend" of ours who had the key to our house and brought drifters/homeless people to our basement to live for extended periods of time.
Right now we have one man who has lived there for about 2 years. He was homeless before (living under a bridge) and still is unemployed. He didn't ask our permission to move in. The basement has water, but no heat, kitchen, or bathroom. We were worried about him starting a fire and asked that he not cook down there. He has since set up a microwave, hot plate, and TV, he's quite comfortable. He intimidated us and told us not to enter the basement and even threatened to set the house on fire if we kick him out.
My potential buyer said he has to be out before they will close the deal. I'm rather in a hurry to sell this house so I can give some of the sale money to my daughter so she can buy her first home and my room at a retirement home will be available at the end of the year (I will find temporary housing in the meantime). But I've made an agreement with the potential buyer that I could remain here through the summer.
I can't simply ask him to leave, he won't. If I got the police involved, he could come back and retaliate. After all he has tons of property in there and has no where to go. He'll be angry with me because he sees that I'm still in the house. A real estate agent told me he has legal rights and could cause problems and force the sale price of my house to go down. I don't know what to do? please help!