How can I find a phone number?

Ronin · 11-22-2002, 09:49 PM

The fuckers.. I just bought a house and there was a leak in the ceiling. We found it 4 days after we bought the house. Now we are trying to contact the sellers and we can't. No number is listed. And the realtor won't give it to us. I am going to try and get it from their lawyer so hopefully I can just talk to them instead of bringing them into small claims court. If I bring them to small claims court, my lawyer says that they will have to pay me since they said they would fix it in the contract.

Is there anyway to get their number if i have the address? Or do I just have to go to their house with a baseball bat?

Mad · 11-22-2002, 10:14 PM

Call their old phone number, maybe it will tell you the new one. Unless they moved out of state.

Did they use the mail-forwarding system with the post office? The following information will get you their new address.

If so send a postcard to your new address addressed to them (their old one) and be sure to put: Address Correction Requested.

Have the return address go to a business address or PO Box. Within a few days you should have their new address if they signed up for it.

What did your shyster tell you about it? Was the defect addressed in the contract? Go back over it with a fine tooth comb and see if it was addressed by the PE who did an inspection.

You did pay somebody to check out everything first, right?

Edited By Mad on 1038004339

Paper Boy · 11-23-2002, 01:02 AM

Quote:Is there anyway to get their number if i have the address?

Sweet Angel · 11-23-2002, 01:49 AM

Quote:We found it 4 days after we bought the house.

Four days after you signed the contract, or four days after you moved in?

Did you have a home inspection done? Did the inspector say anything? Did you or your attorney request in writing that it be fixed?

If the issue wasn't specifically addressed in the contract or in writing afterwards, you might not be able to do anything.

Assuming there was something in writing saying that the sellers agreed to fix the roof, have your attorney contact theirs. If they agreed to fix it, you should have had the opportunity to inspect the work prior to closing.

Edited By Sweet Angel on 1038016245

PlasticMan · 11-23-2002, 08:37 PM

Send them a registered letter stating your grievance. It's better than phoning them anyhow. There are, by the way, cross reference directories. My GF works as a collector, and she does that sort of thing all the time.

Ronin · 11-25-2002, 05:34 PM

After we had the house professionally inspected, the inspector wrote about the leak and that the owners should have it professionally fixed. The owners agreed to have it fixed. Well, he thought he fixed it and we trusted him. Then 4 days after the closing day (we moved in the day after closing), there was the leak. We have the address of their new place. So we are just going to write them a letter because our lawyer wants to charge us $100 for writing a letter. $100!!! So f' that.. we will write it ourselves, and send it certified mail so we KNOW they get it.

If we don't hear anything, then I will bring them to small claims court in Ocean County.

Watch for me on Juddge Judy! :-)

Sweet Angel · 11-25-2002, 10:00 PM

Ronin, I live in Ocean County and work for an attorney who handles a lot of real estate. You can send them a certified letter, but that doesn't mean they have to pick it up.

If you have nothing in writing saying that they agreed to fix it, or documentation from a roofer that it was fixed, you most likely will not have a leg to stand on in court. If it was fixed, they should have at least a short-term warranty which you should have. If you have something in writing, I would say to pursue the roofer...not the seller, because if it still leaks, it's the roofers fault.

If you have nothing in writing, it will be your word against theirs. It's not THEIR fault that you or your attorney didn't follow up with the roof issue. I know this sucks, but that's what happens.

PM me if you need any help.

Ronin · 11-27-2002, 08:30 PM

It wasn't the roof. The drain of the shower was leaking. We had in writing from their lawyer saying that they would fix it "professionally" before we bought the house. He tried to fix it himself, and got burned.

Well, we got in touch with them (they called us) and they will pay for half.. it's better than nothing..

Sweet Angel · 11-27-2002, 08:38 PM

Good, glad to hear it. And glad you had it in writing. Too many people don't think to do that.