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Monday, December 30, 2013

The House That Wouldn't Die

Previously, on Midget Invasion:
-April 2012 we are told the state is declaring eminent domain on our house.
-February 2013 the closing proceedings happen.
-Summer 2013 the house is torn down
-A few weeks ago, we received THIS in the mail. (Yes, that is the house that no longer exists.)

Today, I got on the phone to try to resolve this. I was bound and determined to have this all behind us before the start of the new year. I kept track of the phone conversations on Facebook, and here they are:

Me to tax office: Hi, um we don't own that house anymore.
Tax office: it says here that you do.
Me: We don't, we sold it to the state in February. 
Tax office: They may be tax exempt, you wouldn't be, and they never filed the deed with us.
Me: The deed on the house that doesn't even exist anymore?
Tax office: Yes. 
Me: Sigh.
Tax office: Give me the closing attorney's name, I'll call them and see if I can figure it out.
A while later. . .
Closing Lawyer to me: Do you have your settlement in hand?
Me: Not right now.
Lawyer: Oh. I need the house's parcel number. I guess I can go look it up. I'll call you back.
Me: Sigh.

(15 minutes later)
Phone just rang again.
Lawyer to me: I'm having trouble finding this parcel. I'm looking at the map, and it says it's owned by "Insert name here". 
Me: That is who we bought it from.
Lawyer: Well it says here we bought it from her in 2008. 
Me: ?. . .?. . .?!?!?!?!?!?
Lawyer: DOT acquired part of the property in 2008 from her.
Me: We bought the house from her in 2008.
Lawyer: So, how much did we buy from you?
Me: The whole thing.
Lawyer: Oh, and that was this year?
Me: Yes.
Lawyer: Oh, I see. I have the wrong file! Lol. I'll figure this out and call you back.
Me: Sigh.


(an hour later)
 Final update before we hit the road. Got a voicemail a while ago. . 

Lawyer: "I'm calling you again about your property on "Insert wrong road name, here". Well, uhhh, my secretary is out until January 6th, and I need her to pull your file, so uh, I guess we'll get back to you after January 6th."

That screaming you hear? Is me.

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