Don't forget to read Chapter 4!
CHAPTER 5
The following day after the survey, Dr. Krueger decided to cooperate. She approved the survey. However, after the surveyor finished the front, he needed to do the backyard (for the outdoor kitchen, which was the whole point of the new survey.) Dr. Krueger did not like that the surveyor would have to step into her house in order to pass through to the back yard. Again she kicked the surveyor off her property!
Another day came and went, and after some coaxing, she decided to cooperate,
again. This time there was a new surveyor (the old one refused to go back.) This surveyor, a female, arrived a half hour
early. Dr. Krueger was mad that the surveyor did not come at the scheduled time, and for the third time, refused the survey! She told this one that she would use whatever force necessary to remove her from the property. Bryan and Bonnie were sick of this lady, the emotional roller coaster they were being put through, and all the games. No house was worth this kind of headache. The seller, Dr. Krueger, had refused the survey three times and this was causing a delay which was out of the buyers' control.
Why didn't she want a new survey of the house? Bryan decided she must have had a dead body buried beneath the outdoor kitchen.
Because of Dr. Krueger's refusal to cooperate, Bryan and Bonnie's time had elapsed so they could no longer legally pull out of the deal without repercussions. They were so fed up with this lady, though, and couldn't be sure she would follow through with the sale. For all they knew, she might not show up to closing. Did she want to sell her house or did she not? They weren't sure if she knew that answer. Was she deliberately trying to make the buyers angry so they would back out of the deal? Either way, time was of the essence and they needed to be assured that they would have a house to move into because they would soon be homeless. They already had the usual stresses of moving (packing, moving expenses, selling their own house) without adding Crazy Lady in the mix.
They decided to back out of the deal before it got any messier. The couple's realtor, Courtney, drew up a termination agreement to cancel the contract. The couple was also wanting to get their earnest money, not a small amount, back for all of the trouble they had been through. As you can well imagine, Dr. Krueger was pissed, again, and wasn't going to approve that (it has to be approved by both parties.) Courtney spent the next morning arguing with the seller's realtor
and broker about the situation. This whole ordeal was outrageous and Denise, the seller's realtor, was proving to be a little kooky herself. Courtney's broker stepped in and tried to intervene on the couple's behalf. All efforts failed as they would not approve the earnest money reimbursement.
That evening the couple discussed the situation and drew up another termination agreement. This one stated that Dr. Krueger could have the earnest money which would release the couple from the contract. At this point the loss of earnest money was worth being able to walk away from this mess.
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CHAPTER 6
The next day Bryan and Bonnie got another call. They were hoping that it was a call to confirm that Dr. Krueger took the earnest money. Actually it was a call from Courtney saying that she just got off the phone with Denise, the other realtor. Apparently Dr. Krueger was "soo soo sorry of all the trouble she caused and had repented." She was willing to knock $8,100 off the price of the house. What?! One minute this lady is refusing to pay for a $300 survey to the point of shooting someone; the next she's willing to knock thousands off the house price. Wow.
And why $8100? That was an odd amount. Bryan and Bonnie knew better than to fall for that. If Dr. Krueger was apologetic today, tomorrow she would have remorse for letting her house go for so cheap. Who knew what she would do to sabotage the house before she moved out. Bryan and Bonnie had heard horror stories of deals that'd gone sour. The sellers would mess up the house in ungodly ways to get back at the buyers: purposefully bust pipes and cause all sorts of water damage, stick gum in the electrical outlets, loosen hand railings.... If Bryan and Bonnie were to agree to the new price, who knows how long they would suffer the wrath of Dr. Krueger. They had to think of the safety of their children. Besides, if they did purchase the house, she would know where they lived! They said thank you, but hell no.
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CHAPTER 7
The next day Dr. Krueger was mad again. She decided that she wasn't going to sign off on receiving the earnest money. The original purchase agreement stated that she could either take the earnest money, thereby releasing the buyers from the agreement, or take legal actions and force the deal by suing for the price of the house plus damages. Well you know where the couple stood. After four weeks of crap from this lady, there was no way they were going to buy that house!
Dr. Krueger stated that she would be seeking an attorney. So one moment she's repenting, and the next moment she's threatening to sue.
That's all Bryan and Bonnie needed right now; to enter into a law suit with a mad woman.
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CHAPTER 8
Bryan and Bonnie were extremely stressed out. Two days had passed and they had been praying that Dr. Krueger would release them from the contract. They hoped her mood would turn and she would be kind enough to just let it go.
In the meantime Courtney had an "aha" moment. After a few days of replaying the events in her head, she suspected that Dr. Krueger might NOT have offered them the $8100 discount like they originally thought. Courtney realized that the discount amount is suspiciously the same as Dr. Krueger's realtor's commission! Denise may have offered up, without the seller knowing, her portion of the sale in order to save the deal, probably just to get away from this woman. She suspected that when the proud Dr. Krueger saw the statement in the termination agreement, "Thank you, but we politely decline the $8100 reduction on the house," it infuriated her and sent her into a frenzy of seeking a lawyer. What a mess! Bryan and Bonnie didn't know what to believe anymore. Either way, the deal was off the table, and they were left with a not-so-nice lady, the lady's shady realtor, and a bad relationship.
The couple kept praying and requesting prayers from friends and family.
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CHAPTER 9
As it turns out, the seller had plans to move out of the country. After much deliberation she decided it would behoove her to take the earnest money and move on. A lawsuit would be difficult for her to pursue if she's living abroad. It would be in her interest to fire her realtor, and re-list her house quickly so she could be on her way. Why she was so resistant to the home selling process when it was her decision to sell it, we will never know. She signed the earnest money release and fired her agent.
Whew! The couple was so relieved. Courtney was relieved as well. She told them she was sorry they did not get their earnest money back and that she had never encountered anything like this woman. Courtney told her clients, Bryan and Bonnie, "I never thought I would have to say this to anyone, but congratulations on losing thousands of dollars. What a relief!" The couple couldn't agree more. They just feel bad for the next buyer that gets suckered into Dr. Krueger's trap.
