We were finally able to start getting settled, after one of the most challenging summers of my life, until last year’s cancer treatments. When passing papers on selling our place, I made a point of giving our new phone number to the Smiths, in case they had any questions or problems.
A few months later, my wife called me at work. Mrs. Smith had called, and she was upset. There was a problem with the sewer hookup! I called her, and the story wasn’t at all what I feared it could be.
About a month after the closing, the town had given the okay for sewer connections on the street. Mr. Smith, holding the agreement I signed with the contractor, had contacted him. The contractor coordinated everything with the town. He pumped out the septic tank, did all of the digging and pipe work, and there were no problems with putting the house online with the sewer. What a relief hearing that!
There was a plot twist that was very gratifying to hear. Mrs. Smith had become instant best friends with the wife/mother next door. I was so pleased having confirmation that I was right about them being right for the neighborhood. Icing on the cake was that, unknown to me when I signed up with the contractor, his daughter was that neighbor!
Such good news! So, what was the problem?
The lawyer. She wasn’t releasing the escrow money to pay the balance of the contractor’s fee. The Smiths had called the lawyer’s office several times, providing all of the required information, but nothing was happening. Their calls weren’t being returned, the contractor wasn’t getting paid, and he was talking about needing to put a lien on the property.
I was furious!