mschucktown
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina
This is a long story but I will try and shorten it as best I can. Here goes:
My father owns (paid off) a building that he was renting out to guy he has known for years. The guy was interested in purchasing the building and after a few months my father finally agreed. The deal was-- the buyer was to pay $20K down and $1K per month for the next 6 years. My father agreed to do it this way as a favor to this guy because he thought he was a good person. On the day of closing (2 Dec 09) my father, my father's lawyer and the buyer met and the contract was prepared for signatures. The buyer did not have the $20K at the table (he said it was on the way--whatever that meant). The lawyer suggested that they go ahead and sign all the paperwork in the meantime. He assured my father that he would not file any of the paperwork until the money was in my father's hand. Well, the lawyer gave the buyer the paperwork before my father received his downpayment--without my father's knowledge. My father finally gets his $20K downpayment from this guy around 22/23 dec 09. During the time between 02 Dec 09 and the day my dad received his down payment--the buyer went to a loan shark (22 Dec 09) and borrowed the $20K for the downpayment using the deed that the lawyer gave him--and my dad's lawyer was aware of this. This info came to light when my father got a certified letter in the mail on 24 Dec 10 stating his property was going into foreclosure because the buyer lapsed on his payments to the loan shark so now they want the property. The loan shark assumes they are 1st mortgager but my dad's deed was filed 1st. Both deeds were filed by my father's lawyer on 31 Dec 09. The title to the property is still in my father's name. The contract states that no tranfers of the property could take place without the knowledge/written consent of the owner of the property. The buyer has since missed 3 payments owed to my father but he continues to use the building to make money. Who is at fault in this business deal gone wrong?? What can my father do to save his property without having to pay for it? What actions can he take against the buyer and his so called lawyer (who should have known better)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks......
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a long story but I will try and shorten it as best I can. Here goes:
My father owns (paid off) a building that he was renting out to guy he has known for years. The guy was interested in purchasing the building and after a few months my father finally agreed. The deal was-- the buyer was to pay $20K down and $1K per month for the next 6 years. My father agreed to do it this way as a favor to this guy because he thought he was a good person. On the day of closing (2 Dec 09) my father, my father's lawyer and the buyer met and the contract was prepared for signatures. The buyer did not have the $20K at the table (he said it was on the way--whatever that meant). The lawyer suggested that they go ahead and sign all the paperwork in the meantime. He assured my father that he would not file any of the paperwork until the money was in my father's hand. Well, the lawyer gave the buyer the paperwork before my father received his downpayment--without my father's knowledge. My father finally gets his $20K downpayment from this guy around 22/23 dec 09. During the time between 02 Dec 09 and the day my dad received his down payment--the buyer went to a loan shark (22 Dec 09) and borrowed the $20K for the downpayment using the deed that the lawyer gave him--and my dad's lawyer was aware of this. This info came to light when my father got a certified letter in the mail on 24 Dec 10 stating his property was going into foreclosure because the buyer lapsed on his payments to the loan shark so now they want the property. The loan shark assumes they are 1st mortgager but my dad's deed was filed 1st. Both deeds were filed by my father's lawyer on 31 Dec 09. The title to the property is still in my father's name. The contract states that no tranfers of the property could take place without the knowledge/written consent of the owner of the property. The buyer has since missed 3 payments owed to my father but he continues to use the building to make money. Who is at fault in this business deal gone wrong?? What can my father do to save his property without having to pay for it? What actions can he take against the buyer and his so called lawyer (who should have known better)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks......
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------