Q: The home seller told me that he purchased all light fixtures and ceiling fans in the property and that he was going to removed them when the property sold and take them with him to the new house.
About a year after I purchased the property, I found out that all the homes that were built in my community came with all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
Do I have any recourse against the seller since he lied to me and removed fixtures that should have remained on property?
A: Let’s see. The seller tells you he’s going to leave you in the dark and you say that’s okay. It’s a bad deal on your part, but perhaps the price you paid for the home was low enough that you felt like you were getting a good deal despite the fact that you would have to spend hundreds of dollars buying light fixtures.
Now you find out the home originally came with ceiling fixtures and fans and you’re mad because the seller said he paid for them and he really didn’t. Unfortunately, while lying in this case is bad behavior, but I don’t think it’s actually against the law. There is no recourse for exercising poor judgment, which is what you exhibited when you agreed to the seller’s silly demand. At the very least, you should have insisted that if he was going to take the fixtures and ceiling fans, he replace them with ones of comparable quality.
But since you did agree to this deal, and I’m sure this was written into the contract, you’re out of luck. Next time, simply say “no” and see how the seller responds. My guess is he’ll back off. Or, ask a real estate attorney (or your agent) what is commonly done in the area.
If you want to check on whether you have legal options, you’ll need to speak to a competent real estate attorney.
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