When things can't get worse they do

[Luvz2travel]

I’ve been away awhile. I though buying a house would be a good thing for me. The whole process has turned out to be a misery. My offer was eventually accepted on what I thought was a nice little house on a large lot. Well a few days after closing I found termites in the shed…expensive but that didn’t phase me so much. I found the day before I closed and the day after my walk through the owner had taken down a tree and left me a whole lot of would to dispose of…there was already a ton of decaying wood by the termite ridden shed to deal with. Then I also found a plumbing problem, gutters are not working property and being a bug phobic I had the property sprayed for general critters and out came 25-30 roaches. I’d never seen 1 roach in all the viewing or the walk through. The house looked clean and mostly pest free. I have a deep seated phobia of most bugs. I can tolerate them to a certain amount but roaches I can’t handle at all. I have this constant feeling of dread when I see them as well as fear of them crawling all over my stuff. I have to move into this house in the next 2 months. My lease is up June 30th at my apartment where I’m currently located. I just wanted to enjoy my house. I didn’t think that was too much to ask out of life. Now I’ll always be in constant dread of stepping on roaches in the middle of the night. I had a bad experience with roaches in an apartment I lived in I could never get rid of them and management wouldn’t acknowledge they were there even when they were all over the basement floor. I also had a car accident shortly before all this. I’m tired and want to just give the house back. God has made it so I’m alone and without help…ok I can deal with that but the roaches is too much.

 

[crystal_waters]

Id speak to a lawyer, it sounds like a lot of these things were purposely hidden from you at the time of viewing, it should all have been told to you…also you could hire an exterminator to get rid of termites, roaches etc before you move in

 

[Luvz2travel]

Id speak to a lawyer, it sounds like a lot of these things were purposely hidden from you at the time of viewing, it should all have been told to you…also you could hire an exterminator to get rid of termites, roaches etc before you move in

Well I had an extermination done already. I’m still finding them a week later and had the guy out again yesterday but he said he already sprayed and it wouldn’t do any good to spray again. I put boric acid along all the baseboards, in cracks and where the carpet meet the edge of the walls. He said I put too much. I work too jobs and have limited time. I’m super clean already. I cleaned the vegitation away from the slab foundation and have vacumed and swept up everyday but still see 3-4 some alive everytime I go the property with is just about everyday. I dread going there. When I when I do have to move in I’ll feel like it’s a prison. God has let me down here in a big way. He never gives me a break anywhere it just constant bad luck. I’ll have to live there for a least a couple years per the loan it has to be my primary residence. I don’t think a lawyer would help much due to the cost. It makes more sense just to have it treated and take care of the wood myself. I’ll should have just been content to have nothing and stay in an apartment God is determined I’ll have no happiness in life.

 

[Edmundus1581]

I’m sorry that your dream has turned out bad. I hope that you can get all this sorted out. If you can, then it won’t be long before you just look back at this as a difficult time, but you’ll be happy with your house.

 

[rebecca123]

Wow, I’m so sorry you are having to go through all this. It is really tough alone.

I am renting a room from a lady who is a nurse (go figure) and the whole house is roach infested, including my room. I am preparing to roach bomb it shortly. She works all the time and has no time to tend to the house. As for me, I have not enough finances to even rent an apt. right now.

Maybe over time the critters will be totally eradicated? Maybe you could set off a roach bomb before you actually have to be moved in. Sometimes they work good.

I am midlife, never married, unable to find a job and living in someone’s roach room because it’s what I can afford right now. Not even any extended family around. It does seem like God really has radically different plans for different people. Who can understand.

I’ll be praying for you, hang in there. I really think there will be some happiness ahead for you.

 

[nodito]

God has made it so I’m alone and without help…ok I can deal with that but the roaches is too much.

God is determined I’ll have no happiness in life.

I’m sorry that you’re struggling right now, but God is not determining you’ll be miserable for life and he certainly didn’t arrange the situation so that you’re alone in a bug-infested house.

Did you have a home inspection done before you purchased? How about a bug inspection? Either probably would have raised red flags that you could have used to avoid this sale.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I am so sorry about the bugs and mess at the house. You are doing the right things to get rid of them though. Hopefully you are also able to get the wood removed or properly stacked for firewood.

I pray that you are able to live contentedly in your new house and enjoy the space and quiet.

 

[Rete]

You have to burn the wood. The termite colony and all of that wood must be destroyed. The roach infestation is also a pretty big issue. They very likely are all inside the walls and under the floorboards.

I agree with the other poster who recommended you find a lawyer. It sounds like you were defrauded. In most cases, an seller cannot deliberately hide such problems from potential buyers. But how you dealt with the inspection prior to purchasing will be important. In any case, you probably need to find a lawyer.

I share you dislike of such problems. I am really sorry you encountered that. If I were you, I would do everything possible to back out and recover my losses from the seller.

Contact the lawyer you used to deal with the contract to find out what your options are. He likely included clauses to protect you from fraud. Bring your inspection documents as well. You need to figure out why the inspector did not discover these problems either. He is at least partly responsible for this since he did not discover these issues before you purchased the home (that’s his job).

 

[gardenswithkids]

Prayers for you
Asking the intercession of St. Dominic of Silos and St. Mawes, (patron saints against insects) and St. Gratus of Aosta, patron saint against fear of insects. (according to saints.sqpn.com/ ) May they interceed for you before the Lord to help resolve the bug problems in your new home.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Well I had an extermination done already. I’m still finding them a week later and had the guy out again yesterday but he said he already sprayed and it wouldn’t do any good to spray again. I put boric acid along all the baseboards, in cracks and where the carpet meet the edge of the walls. He said I put too much. I work too jobs and have limited time. I’m super clean already. I cleaned the vegitation away from the slab foundation and have vacumed and swept up everyday but still see 3-4 some alive everytime I go the property with is just about everyday. I dread going there. When I when I do have to move in I’ll feel like it’s a prison. God has let me down here in a big way. He never gives me a break anywhere it just constant bad luck. I’ll have to live there for a least a couple years per the loan it has to be my primary residence. I don’t think a lawyer would help much due to the cost. It makes more sense just to have it treated and take care of the wood myself. I’ll should have just been content to have nothing and stay in an apartment God is determined I’ll have no happiness in life.

You are sure feeling sorry for yourself. That’s self-pity and martyrdom and doesn’t help the situation at all. It makes you more and more miserable. Do you honestly think that God had plans for you to live in a roach-infested termite-eaten house? Come on, you’re not serious!

Go to any store like Target, Wal-Mart, or Ace Hardware and get a couple of cans of Bengal Roach Spray. They are red with a shiny gold cap. They run about $12 each. Yes, that is expensive but this stuff WORKS! Take them and put the sprayer tube on, and go spray them all along the OUTSIDE of your new house. Then, come inside and spray under all of the sinks and in the bottoms of the closets. Be careful when spraying because it’s very concentrated with the sprayer tube and you can put too much down; it can also spray upward into your face, so just be careful. It doesn’t take a whole lot of this stuff to work. It will last at least 6 mos. And then you can treat again.

Whatever the exterminator used, it might not be killing the eggs immediately, but over time you will see that the numbers of roaches will go down, and eventually it will stop. Once the adults are all dead, the eggs may hatch out but they will die before they can lay eggs. That may be what is happening right now. Be grateful that you don’t have to move in yet!

The termites should have been found during inspection, that is something that can kill a house sale in my area. The previous owner HAS to fix that before the house can even sell. If it’s subterranean termites, there are easy fixes for that. If it’s dry wood, then the house needs to be tented and treated, and that’s not cheap. I would call my real estate agent and ask him/her to start legal proceedings to have the termite treatment paid for by the previous owner. Or, if you really think that this is a deal-killer for you (and you will have to pray about this, it’s not just feeling sad because you have a few bugs) then let your agent know that you will sue to get out of the contract. Get legal advice first, because I don’t know that your area is the same as mine.

 

[Rete]

I agree with consulting a lawyer, but I don’t agree with informing the agent of anything. Do not tell anybody anything except for the lawyer. If you decide to pursue your options to back out of the closing, according to contract, then the only person dealing with anybody should be your lawyer, for your own legal protection. Don’t make statements to any of them, written or verbal (but especially written or typed) without first consulting the lawyer.

While it’s easy to say they are just bugs when you are over the internet, I think the fact remains that their existence was well hidden from you, never disclosed, obviously never dealt with, and you would never have closed the deal knowing that the home has these problems. It depends upon the state laws, but I am pretty sure that is fraud. In most states, the seller is legally required to disclose these things to any potential buyer. In order to clear them aside long enough to attract a buyer, the seller had to have known about those problems. That is fraud.

At the very least you should recover the costs of dealing with termites and roaches. Those are not costs you are supposed to pay. They should have been dealt with by the seller, or explicitly noted in the contract that it is your responsibility (with a corresponding reduction in price).

Check this out:

real-estate.lawyers.com/residential-real-estate/Disclosing-Hidden-House-Defects.html

Without proper disclosure, you may be faced with a buyer’s demand for repairs and damages due to the defect. If you can’t reach a settlement, the buyer may file a lawsuit.

If a court decides in favor of the buyer you may be responsible for:

Repairs and other damages resulting from the undisclosed defect
The buyer's attorney's fees and costs of the lawsuit

** Taking back the house if the court invalidates or rescinds the sale**
Punitive damages to punish your failure to disclose defects if it amounted to fraud

Don’t make your home sale any more challenging or work than need be. Your accurate and honest disclosure is worth it.

I have little concern for dishonest people. At the very least, termites absolutely should have been disclosed.

Edit

And… boom: billharperrealty.com/Images_&_Files/Seller%27s%20Disclosure%20Form.pdf

Missouri disclosure law requires that the seller list any known pest infestations, including termites.

 

[Luvz2travel]

Thanks for all the supportive comments. Honestly the temites didn’t really bother me so much as the roaches. I have a great fear of them. I’ve tried medications and counceling to no avail. Right now I don’t have the money for either anyway all my money went to the house. I deeply fear the roaches will never go away that’s my biggests cross to bare. To the person that told me they are probably in the walls…thanks I already knew that just thinking of it makes me cringe. I didn’t see any roaches or bugs at any visit to the house before purchasing it. I do blame the guy for the extra wood and termites though. The shed was locked on the day of the inspection. That says a lot. I can’t afford a lawyer or have the time to see one. I work 2 jobs. Because of the roach issue all my spare time goes to cleaning the house and yard. I need to get roof repairs, carport repairs and plumbing repairs amoung other things.

I think I should have just not bought a house it seems endless trouble.

 

[Luvz2travel]

Wow, I’m so sorry you are having to go through all this. It is really tough alone.

I am renting a room from a lady who is a nurse (go figure) and the whole house is roach infested, including my room. I am preparing to roach bomb it shortly. She works all the time and has no time to tend to the house. As for me, I have not enough finances to even rent an apt. right now.

Maybe over time the critters will be totally eradicated? Maybe you could set off a roach bomb before you actually have to be moved in. Sometimes they work good.

I am midlife, never married, unable to find a job and living in someone’s roach room because it’s what I can afford right now. Not even any extended family around. It does seem like God really has radically different plans for different people. Who can understand.

I’ll be praying for you, hang in there. I really think there will be some happiness ahead for you.

Try BORIC ACID…that will take care of the roaches or at least keep them at bay. It kills most bugs eventurally just takes time. Also it’s so worth it to have a spray done. It can save your sanity.

As to happiness well I guess for me it’s far and few between.

 

[Luvz2travel]

You are sure feeling sorry for yourself. That’s self-pity and martyrdom and doesn’t help the situation at all. It makes you more and more miserable. Do you honestly think that God had plans for you to live in a roach-infested termite-eaten house? Come on, you’re not serious!

Go to any store like Target, Wal-Mart, or Ace Hardware and get a couple of cans of Bengal Roach Spray. They are red with a shiny gold cap. They run about $12 each. Yes, that is expensive but this stuff WORKS! Take them and put the sprayer tube on, and go spray them all along the OUTSIDE of your new house. Then, come inside and spray under all of the sinks and in the bottoms of the closets. Be careful when spraying because it’s very concentrated with the sprayer tube and you can put too much down; it can also spray upward into your face, so just be careful. It doesn’t take a whole lot of this stuff to work. It will last at least 6 mos. And then you can treat again.

Whatever the exterminator used, it might not be killing the eggs immediately, but over time you will see that the numbers of roaches will go down, and eventually it will stop. Once the adults are all dead, the eggs may hatch out but they will die before they can lay eggs. That may be what is happening right now. Be grateful that you don’t have to move in yet!

The termites should have been found during inspection, that is something that can kill a house sale in my area. The previous owner HAS to fix that before the house can even sell. If it’s subterranean termites, there are easy fixes for that. If it’s dry wood, then the house needs to be tented and treated, and that’s not cheap. I would call my real estate agent and ask him/her to start legal proceedings to have the termite treatment paid for by the previous owner. Or, if you really think that this is a deal-killer for you (and you will have to pray about this, it’s not just feeling sad because you have a few bugs) then let your agent know that you will sue to get out of the contract. Get legal advice first, because I don’t know that your area is the same as mine.

Orkin quoted 1,400.00 and Terminix sait 850 to treat for termite. In MO it’s underground termites.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Thanks for all the supportive comments. Honestly the temites didn’t really bother me so much as the roaches. I have a great fear of them. I’ve tried medications and counceling to no avail. Right now I don’t have the money for either anyway all my money went to the house. I deeply fear the roaches will never go away that’s my biggests cross to bare. To the person that told me they are probably in the walls…thanks I already knew that just thinking of it makes me cringe. I didn’t see any roaches or bugs at any visit to the house before purchasing it. I do blame the guy for the extra wood and termites though. The shed was locked on the day of the inspection. That says a lot. I can’t afford a lawyer or have the time to see one. I work 2 jobs. Because of the roach issue all my spare time goes to cleaning the house and yard. I need to get roof repairs, carport repairs and plumbing repairs amoung other things.

I think I should have just not bought a house it seems endless trouble.

I am sorry about your phobia of roaches. Are they the little German cockroaches or the larger American roaches? We have the bigger ones down here, fortunately they don’t like air conditioning and mostly stay outside. Which is good, because they can fly…

Seriously, try the Bengal spray I recommended. It really works and you don’t have to put boric acid everywhere, which can be a problem with pets and kids.

 

[underacloud]

God has let me down here in a big way. He never gives me a break anywhere it just constant bad luck.

Why don’t you go to church and spend some time meditating on the cross? I’m not trying to be rude, I’m quite serious. See how your cockroach problem stacks up when you consider the passion and death of Jesus.

Or consider the millions of people around the world who would love to have *any *home, regardless of a bug problem.

Also consider your own footnote: “Life is what you make it.” This is a positive affirmation and you should focus on it, whereas self-pity will only make you more a victim of your circumstances.

 

[Luvz2travel]

Why don’t you go to church and spend some time meditating on the cross? I’m not trying to be rude, I’m quite serious. See how your cockroach problem stacks up when you consider the passion and death of Jesus.

Or consider the millions of people around the world who would love to have *any *home, regardless of a bug problem.

Also consider your own footnote: “Life is what you make it.” This is a positive affirmation and you should focus on it, whereas self-pity will only make you more a victim of your circumstances.

Most of the time I can but a phobia and a bad one takes over. It’s an anxiety issue. Meds make me too sick and don’t do any good and counceling has never helped. I’m not talking a regular phobia either but a serious one. They run in my family. My grandmother had a phobia of leaving her house she couldn’t in her later years it terrified her to even think about it. My mom was terrified of hospitals and doctors to the point she didn’t get diagnosed with cancer until a few years after she got it…even though she was in such pain she was limbing she refused to go the the doctor no matter how much we begged her. I’m just glad mine is a bug phobia and not something more debilitating. There not really much I’m afraid of. Minor bug infestations I can live with. I whip out the boric acid and go to town or have sprayed. Roaches…that’s another ballpark.

 

[gh4]

I’m sure you had a licensed person do your home inspection for you. I’d call them, I’m sure that they are insured and would think that they would have found any termites and roaches, they know how to look for them and what to look for.
I’ve had home inspections take 4 or 5 hours before, they look for every possible problem, and they guarantee their work, you should have quite a bit of paperwork from them, and probably should have been there when they did the inspection to ask any question you might have had.

As far as trees etc. there had to be mention of what things stayed with the house and land and what things were allowed to be gone in the contract your agent wrote up. It should also say somewhere that they had to leave the house and the grounds in good and clean shape when vacating the premises.

Good luck!

 

[underacloud]

Most of the time I can but a phobia and a bad one takes over. It’s an anxiety issue. Meds make me too sick and don’t do any good and counceling has never helped. I’m not talking a regular phobia either but a serious one. They run in my family. My grandmother had a phobia of leaving her house she couldn’t in her later years it terrified her to even think about it. My mom was terrified of hospitals and doctors to the point she didn’t get diagnosed with cancer until a few years after she got it…even though she was in such pain she was limbing she refused to go the the doctor no matter how much we begged her. I’m just glad mine is a bug phobia and not something more debilitating. There not really much I’m afraid of. Minor bug infestations I can live with. I whip out the boric acid and go to town or have sprayed. Roaches…that’s another ballpark.

Well, if it’s a genuine phobia then yes, you’ve got a problem. But give the work the exterminator did some time to resolve. It can take a while before all of the roaches are exposed, but it should eventually get them all and their eggs. And then I’d say it’s a matter of regular, consistent spraying to ensure they don’t return.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Well I had an extermination done already. I’m still finding them a week later and had the guy out again yesterday but he said he already sprayed and it wouldn’t do any good to spray again. I put boric acid along all the baseboards, in cracks and where the carpet meet the edge of the walls. He said I put too much. I work too jobs and have limited time. I’m super clean already. I cleaned the vegitation away from the slab foundation and have vacumed and swept up everyday but still see 3-4 some alive everytime I go the property with is just about everyday. I dread going there. When I when I do have to move in I’ll feel like it’s a prison. God has let me down here in a big way. He never gives me a break anywhere it just constant bad luck. I’ll have to live there for a least a couple years per the loan it has to be my primary residence. I don’t think a lawyer would help much due to the cost. It makes more sense just to have it treated and take care of the wood myself. I’ll should have just been content to have nothing and stay in an apartment God is determined I’ll have no happiness in life.

God has let me down here in a big way.

** God is determined I’ll have no happiness in life. **

I surely hope these comments are made tongue in cheek.

Anyone whose happiness depends on a bug-free house, has a few bugs in his thinking that need to be removed.

That being said, I wish you well in your efforts to get rid of the bugs. I wouldn’t like it either.

It reminds me, though, of a story about St. Francis as written in his biography by St. Bonaventure. St. Francis encountered a large number of poor people at the entrance to fhe shrine of St. Peter. “He gave his own clothes to one of the neediest among them. Then he dressed himself in the poor man’s rags and spent the day in the midst of the poor with an unaccustomed joy of spirit.” When I read that all I could think of was what the condition of a very needy man back in the 12th century must have been-- lice on his body and in his clothes, and those clothes must have stunk to high heavens, as well. Love of poverty is one thing in the abstract, but this picture drove it home to me what kind of love Francis must have had for God to go to this extreme, and not only that, but to love doing it! I think the majority of us have a very long way to go to match Francis.