New homeowners allow previous residents to stay for one more week, now they refuse to leave: 'This is why you don't do nice things for people!'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 11, 2025 8:00 AM EST

There is a downside to being too nice to people.

Unfortunately for this young couple, who recently became homeowners after a speedy negotiation process, they learned exactly what happens when you let people walk all over you. After they closed a deal on their new home, they were politely asked by the previous owners to give them an extra week to pack their belongings and vacate the premises. 

Almost an entire month later, the author's wife showed up at their new home, only to discover that the previous owner had not packed a single item. Their furniture was still there, as were their vehicles and personal items. That's the moment that the author and his partner realized that they had a major problem on their hands.

It was not long before they had to sue these guys for refusing to comply with the rules. The problem was that until that lawsuit was properly carried out, these previous owners maintained their stance on never leaving the home that was simply no longer theirs. Keep scrolling below for this account of the full conflict and the subsequent consequences!

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  • 01
    A young married couple moving in a new house. A woman looks at her tablet while sitting on a chair, while a man unpacks items from a cardboard box.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • As the author later states, there is no question that the law is ultimately on their side here. These previous owners are foolishly delusional and will eventually pay the price for that delusion. Still, the fact that they are holding down the fort and refusing to leave is going to make the next few weeks (and potentially months) nearly unbearable for the couple. We hope they continue to fight these guys, though. No more Mr. Nice Guy!

  • 02

    "Previous owners are trespassing and refusing to leave the house they sold to us"

    This is a situation currently ongoing in WY. We closed on Oct 17th, previous owners had asked for and we granted a 1 week period for them to move as they seemed to be in financial straits.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 03
    This is why you don't do nice things for people. each day/week after he's been telling his RE agent that he only needs another few days, excuse this excuse that. Finally on 11/4 we hear from the RE agent that he is out. My
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 04
    wife shows up and not a single item of his mountains of boxes have been moved. Not his RV, not his motorcycles etc. Nothing.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 05
    When he realizes my wife is there he starts verbally cussing her out. Here's the best part, Sheriffs won't do anything to this guy who then starts stealing anything not locked down because it's a civil issue. So yeah, there are no
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 06
    repercussions (immediately) if you sell your house, pocket the money, but don't vacate the premises. We now have to go through the legal process so the court recognizes he is trespassing and damaging our
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 07
    property, but for the week or three it's going to take that to play out, we have no recourse but just to sit back and watch this compulsive liar and thief destroy our property and continue to live
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 08
    there with the heat blasting (can't leave the utilities off as the pipes will free and who knows where he'll go to the bathroom). Rant over.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 09
    Edit 1: I can't respond to all comments now, have to drive and serve them with a Notice to Quit, in order to start the process for Forcible Entry and Detainer which allows the sheriff to remove anyone trespassing, so will be afk
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 10
    for the next few hours. This is not a fake story, I am not Al, I'm too naive to be Al. Note: this was a pre-foreclosure and we thought we were doing the previous owners a favor by doing a short close on this before it foreclosed
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 11
    (error #1), and they asked for an extra two weeks to leave since it was indeed a tight timetline (error #2), also note, we've heard that in a pre-foreclosure noone is allowed to be on the property but we didn't know this until today
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 12
    (error #3), we did $5K of sale proceeds in escrow and gave them 1week post close to move out (error #4, we should NEVER have agreed to this or made it the entire contents of the sale proceeds), we did not a pre-close
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 13
    walkthrough, the sellers agent is an old timer never available and blamed the sellers for never returning her calls, so there were no final steps pre-close to protect us (error #5). I'm sure there are other errors we made.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 14
    A pile of cardboard boxes labeled Bedroom, Kitchen, and Fragile on a hardwood floor.
    via Unsplash+ (Faruk Tokluoğlu)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 15
    We went through this because we talked them down to a really good price, 20% under market value, so thought the good deal would be worth any hassle, and that's probably error #6.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 16
    Edit 2: so the presence of the Sheriff and the knowledge we were starting the legal process lit the fire needed for the previous owner to finish moving his stuff out and clear out. Thankfully he didn't steal anything appliance-
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 17
    wise and the only damage we've found was to be expected. Note our options for this property were either let it go to foreclosure and buy it after the title-holder rehabbed it and put it back on the market, or...make a low-bid
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 18
    offer and hope the hassle and potential mess left behind were worth it. Okay so we lost 3 weeks post-close with this non-sense, and for that he lost $5K of sale proceeds and we still got the house at 75% of market value.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 19
    And this is before we do anything to it. Provided there is no additional interference or harassment from the ex- homeowner, we're starting out with what we expected, a very messy house that with some sweat equity in replacing carpets,
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 20
    painting walls, replacing kitchen counters, etc, we're where we expected to be with the house situation.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 21
    A young couple carrying boxes into their new home.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 22
    drmike0099 . Nowhere in your post did you mention "lawyer" or "my attorney". That should be your first task.
    via magpie_k*ller
  • 23
    myphriendmike . Your agent let you buy a house that still had people living there on closing?
    via magpie_k*ller

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