A woman rented out her property for several years, then she wanted to sell it and use the money to ease into retirement. Her tenants only agreed to leave after dragging out the sale for more than a year. #FixTOPA
Posts Categorized: TOPA Stories
Non-Paying Tenant Holds Up Sale for 2 Years
A single-family home was split into two smaller properties awhile back. A couple was interested in buying both properties and restoring it as a single-family unit. When they put in their bid, one of the properties was vacant, and a single tenant resided in the other. The seller attempted to evict the tenant, who had… Read more »
Tenant Threatens to Derail Sale, Extorts Seller for $30,000
A man was renting the basement of a home. The owner agreed to a contract to sell the home, and the contract allowed the tenant to continue renting the basement at the previously agreed-upon rate of $1,600 per month. The tenant refused to accept the deal and threatened to drag out the sale for as… Read more »
TOPA Scares Potential Homebuyer Away From DC
A woman was looking to purchase her first home, and she wanted to buy in the District. However, she travels frequently and planned to rent her home out while she was out of town. A friend informed the woman about TOPA, and after some research, she promptly changed her mind and purchased a home in… Read more »
Man Unable to Sell Condo Due to Unresponsive Tenant
A man bought a condo in Brentwood many years ago. He later moved out of the city, but he wanted to keep the condo by renting it out. Years later, he wants to sell the condo, and he contacted a REALTOR® to help him with the process. The REALTOR® was unable to get into the… Read more »
Condo Sale Delayed 6 Months Due to TOPA
A woman was renting an apartment in DC. She was interested in purchasing a one-bedroom condo, with parking, in that same building, and one came on the market. She put in an offer for several thousand dollars more than the asking price, and the owner, who was out of the country, accepted it immediately. On… Read more »
TOPA Timeframes Delay Sale for Executor of Estate
A man, who was the executor of the estate on a home, was attempting to sell the home he had been left in charge of. He had allowed his daughter to stay in the home on occasion after the owner had passed away. No lease was ever signed, and there wasn’t even furniture in the… Read more »
Couple’s Move Held Hostage by Tenant
A couple is currently renting out their one-bedroom loft out while they’re out of the city. They want to purchase a new home for their growing family, but they cannot finance the new house until they sell their condo in DC. However, the tenant is refusing to leave the condo, which is allowed under the… Read more »
Family Can’t Afford to Buy Out Tenant, Loses House
A family was under contract to purchase a home in Brookland on a short sale. The short sale was approved and the tenant moved out of the house, but she refused to assign her TOPA rights without compensation. The sellers couldn’t pay, and the buyers were already maxed out on their purchasing budget, leaving the… Read more »
Friend Derails Sale, Extorts Owner for Thousands of Dollars
An individual was attempting to sell their home, where they had allowed a friend to stay on occasion. There was no lease, no money was exchanged — it was simply a favor granted by the owner to a friend. When the friend learned they had TOPA rights, they claimed they had interest in purchasing the… Read more »