I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER :(
It's been a while since I've done an update, so I'm getting it out of the way today. I am trying to sell my place in Illinois so I can move to my new homestead in Arkansas. I've ran into some problems selling my place in Illinois and it is getting frustrating. I am NOT a happy camper.
Here's the YouTube video I just uploaded to update my followers over there. 12 minutes.
If you're not a video person, here's an attempt to make a long story short. I've had 9 offers on my place, some of them were turned down by the park office because of their credit or background check. A few potential buyers made me an offer and then went down to fill out the applications for the credit background checks, but I never heard back from them. Well, I finally started following up with those who didn't call me back after they turned in their applications and I am not happy about what I found out.
So 4 potential buyers made me an offer and then filled out their applications and were approved. But after they were approved to buy my place, the park told them about other mobile homes that they owned which were for sale and they could buy one on a payment plan. I sent those buyers to the office to sell my place, and the office sold them their own homes for sale. ARGH!!!!! I should at least get a commission if they are going to steal my buyers from me.
Anyway, since I'm getting so frustrated with it all and eager to get started in Arkansas, I contacted another buyer who I had rejected earlier because she didn't offer me as much as I was being offered by others. I decided I would take her offer if she was still interested. She was in a one bedroom apartment in the inner-city and wanted to move into a better school district. Her grandmother had just gone into a nursing home, and she wanted her grandmother to come live with her and her daughter instead, so she was looking for a larger place like mine. I figured, if I'm going to take less for my place, I'd like to do it for someone I'd really like to help.
So Thursday we go down to the office to get her application for the credit and background check. The office says they also have to do one on her 85 year old grandmother, who is three hours away and doesn't use internet technology. And the application has to have an original signature. The office also says, oh, and by the way, we're going to be on vacation next week so we won't be able to process this application until we get back. ARGH SQUARED!!! My buyer wants to move ASAP so she can get her daughter started in a new school, and I want to move ASAP, but nooooooo.
So my buyer is going to keep looking this week and its all still out of my control. I'm just not a happy camper. I'm not usually much of a complainer or a whiner, but this vent session is probably overdue. I'm just watching money that I should be using on my new homestead fly away and there's nothing I can do about it. Two more months worth of lot rent and electricity and water and internet and everything else that's gone into selling this place is just wasted. The air conditioner and the windshield wiper motor went out on my truck after having two flat tires last month. Man, Murphy's Law sucks, that's all I gotta say about that.
Ok, vent over. I'm just not a happy camper, BUT, I've got a homestead waiting for me in a beautiful part of Arkansas with a lot fewer people I will have to deal with. I've still got plenty to look forward to and be excited about, so I'm gonna stay focused on that instead.
Man, what a pain! My Grandpa use to always say, "Nothing worth having ever comes easy." I know it's been true in my case. Just when you think you can't take anymore, the more happens. So I guess you're building some extra character, haha.
I'm gonna send ya all the good juju I can and I know you'll be in Arkansas soon beginning your dream there. Keep the faith, brother.
I'll take it, thank you. :)
Damn. . That's savage. You're a better man than me for not getting revenge...
A younger version of me would definitely be thinking that way. I've done dozens of political press conferences and was always pretty good at getting reporters to show up and cover it. That took a long time to build those contact lists, but if I still had them, I'd be tempted.
One time I called out the Peoria Police Chief for hiring a stripper to help play a practical joke on a comedian who was performing in town. They fake arrested the comedian for lewd conduct, took him downtown, asked him if he wanted a lawyer, sent in a "lawyer" to help him, and she proceeded to do a striptease for him. Which, fine, I'm all for some fun, but not when they are on the clock using public resources and there are unsolved crimes aplenty out there. Made the 6 & 10 pm news on all 3 stations that night. :)
But that was a younger me, I just want to get out of here and do my own thing. If I'm still here in a couple weeks, I'll start thinking of something, I'm sure.
I had to go look it up to see if there was still anything on the internet about it, and found one article.
http://www.pjstar.com/x312167033/Luciano-Retiring-chief-points-to-humanelement
The city council demanded discipline because I stirred the pot on the news before their council meeting and showed up with some angry voters. :) This might make a good post someday, now that I think about it. Wish I could find the press releases I wrote for this.
Wow! I seems as though you could do something about the office ..It sounds as though you have every right to be upset but unfortunately that never helps get the job done...Prayers in your direction...persistence @bobbleheadstead..so sorry for your trouble...Independence of that mess in your future!
Melissa
Thanks. I'll get it done somehow. That independence sure will be sweet. Soon.
That's some Grade-A, high-class bullshit from the park office.
What would happen if you just closed up the trailer, shut off or do vacation mode on the mechanicals - and just get on with things? At least you could start investing your time, if not the money (which you're spending anyway).
It sounds to me like the park thinks they have you over a barrel, but they can't make you physically stay there. I doubt they want a vacant-looking unit, so maybe it will be a spur to cooperate.
Otherwise, I'm thinking it might be time for an attorney. That's some shady shit they're pulling.
Good luck, bud!
I have to pay the lot rent whether I'm there or not, and I can't afford to do that. If I stop paying lot rent, they'll just sue me and take the home. They pretty much do have me over a barrel. I could move the home, but I've got nowhere to move it to and that would cost thousands I don't have. Lawyers would cost me more than this place is worth. I have to sell it to have any chance of making it in Arkansas because I need that money to live on and get started. So I just have to put up with their BS until they approve someone to buy it.
I'm starting to think of ways I could legally put pressure on them (revenge as dave mentioned above). I've been a nice guy, and that's my fault, but if this goes on past next week, I'll nail them somehow. I can't stand outside their office with a picket sign all day like I used to be able to do, but I'll get creative. Steemians flooding them with phone calls comes to mind. :)
Thanks for the brainstorm ideas, I really appreciate it. I hate that this situation has gotten this bad, your encouragement really helps.
I wasn't suggesting not paying the rent. Just that you can pay it from Illinois or Arkansas. thus freeing you to get started on investing your time and energy where it'll do you the most good. You don't have to pay the rent in person, do you?
Oh, and you might want to check the Bar Assn for references on attorneys doing pro bono work. Couldn't hurt...
Hang in there & vent when required. ;~D
Yea, the stop paying rent and walking away was an idea that went through my head. My income source here ends in October, so without the proceeds from the sale, I won't have anything to buy the things necessary to start making money in Arkansas.
Without the money selling this place, I won't be able to get electricity or internet or buy pigs or chickens or feed or fencing or chicken wire or paint for birdhouses or containers for potted plants or gas or anything else, and I'd have no income to pay the lot rent.
It'll take months before my efforts along with those investments will start producing income. There isn't anything there right now that I can make $250/month plus my living expenses from right away. If I could go flip burgers at McDonalds, again, I'd be all over that opportunity, but I've got to get creative. It'll take more than my time and energy to start earning any income.
Ah, if your income source is local, then it makes sense you'd need to stay for now.
Oh that is just SO annoying! And I can't believe they were selling other homes instead of yours. The bloody cheek of it!
Really hope you get it sorted out soon. These kind of things - which should be fairly straight froward - become SO annoying when they don't work out because of other people's stupidity.
One thing is that I have a lot more respect for real estate agents and everything they have to deal with trying to sell a property. At least the real estates agents over here, not sure how it works for you. Thanks Geoff, I appreciate the encouragement, I'll get there.
I'm so sorry! Dude, that ain't cool what the office has stolen from you! I hope it all resolves soon so we can get busy getting you started on that awesome Homestead you are going to build!
Yes yes yes, thanks Rose. I've already got two buyers lined up to split a whole hog and I can't wait to find a few more and get started.
That sounds awful. Selling a home and moving is hard enough without having to deal with the added complication of a park office. Why are you not able to just sell directly? Are they getting financing through the park office? Or is the credit check for the rent of the space? Just curious...
Best of luck. My upvote's not worth much but it's yours.
It could be easier, that's for sure. The credit and background check is for the lot rent, $250/month. I'm selling my place full-price for cash (or Steem :). The park office had bought other mobile homes and were re-selling them and offering financing, which is something I can't do. That option to finance was more attractive to my potential buyers, so I lost them after they had been approved for the lot rent. It was after they were approved that the park office offered them the financing deals on the places they had for sale. I found their customers for them, in other words. Not cool.
Thanks for the encouragement. My current buyer isn't interested in financing and wants my place, so we're just waiting on someone in the office to do run her application background/credit checks early next week. So close.
A cash buyer - what could be simpler?
I'd be furious too, if the management was out of the office.
We recently hired a real estate company to handle renting out our place for the winter. We've had nightmare tenants before, so we thought we'd leave it to the pros.
Well, they did nothing to find a tenant. They showed it to three people, didn't show up for two other appointments they had made, and then recommended a family with too many kids and pets - for a small two bedroom house that isn't pet friendly.
We ended up having to place a Craigslist ad, show it ourselves, then pass the prospects off to the company for credit and criminal background checks. For this they charged us a full month's rent.
Don't get me started on Real Estate people. Oh, too late - sorry!
How frustrating!!! I hope it all gets straightened out soon and your buyer comes back to buy your place.
Thank you. I think I needed to get this vent session out of my system. Something good is bound to happen before long I hope.
I've got my fingers crossed and am sending good vibes your way!
Brother, i cant wait till your dreams come true!
Absolutely :)
Sounds like the place you rent from violated the agreement you had with them...
You may be right, there's just not much I can about it now. Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet, is an investor in this park. And it just so happens his son was appointed the County Sheriff the next county over last week. I've ruffled so many feathers in this state, I'm just anxious to put it behind me.