Re: B L Renfrow – I’m all ears! - Posted by B.L.Renfrow
Posted by B.L.Renfrow on December 13, 1999 at 13:42:00:
Hi Susan
Don’t know what happened to it…looked fine when I posted it from home the other night, but now from work I see it’s cross-linked (and it was L-O-N-G too)!
Anyway, I knew you’d appreciate the story:
Got a call a couple weeks ago from a guy who said he had his MH rented out, but the tenants were moving out at the end of the week, and he’s relocating to New Hampshire, so wanted to know if I could help him out.
I went out and looked it over…'73, GREAT condition, spoke with the park owner who said, “Fine with me.” Seller started out at $2200, was down to $1800 before I left. So I gave him a couple days, then (after I re-read the appropriate chapter in Lonnie’s book) I called the guy up and said, “I’m about to buy that home I looked at after I left yours, but if I could get you cash in a couple days, what’s your absolute best price?”
He says, “$1500.” Great! So Friday I phoned the seller, told him I had his money and asked him to meet me at the MH for a final inspection. He said, “Well, why don’t you just come to my house and I’ll give you the keys.” Should have smelled a rat then. I insisted on meeting at the home, so he grudgingly agreed.
We met at the park shortly thereafter and went into the MH. Imagine my surprise: furnishings all in place, coffee in the coffee maker, Christmas decorations up.
Me: “Uh, it doesn’t LOOK unoccupied.”
Seller: “Fghzztth.”
Me: “Huh? I can’t hear you. Speak up.”
So after some very POINTED questions from me, turns out the place WAS rented, but the tenants moved out a couple months ago. Shortly thereafter, the present occupants appeared, and of course have not paid him one cent. When he went to question them, they told him to go pound sand and threatened him with MURDER if he tried to evict them!
The funny thing is, the place is clean, well maintained, and they apparently have been paying the lot rent. The seller said he called the sheriff, but they told him they could not arrest or remove the occupants, he would have to file a regular eviction proceeding.
So, trying to think fast, I immediately told the guy my offer was only valid if he could deliver the home with the occupants removed. He said he couldn’t, and wasn’t going to try. I offered him $750, and I would deal with it, but he declined. (Go figure…he’s going to abandon the place, but he just turned down $750 to make it MY problem!!) However, I had visions of my mangled corpse being fished out of the local river as soon as that offer was out of my mouth, so I was none too sad he refused it!
Friday night I got a call from the seller’s wife. In tears, she said they were going to use the money for their kids’ Christmas, and asked if I would pay $1300. Said the only reason they gave me such a good price in the first place was because they thought I was a nice guy! So, nice guy that I am, I told her I’d think about it…which I did, for about 3 minutes, then I sat down and fired off a “nice” letter telling her no way!
And that’s the saga of my first Lonnie deal.
Brian (NY)
Great story!