Dispute over small property

[ToriVac]

Jurisdiction

California

I sold my condo last year to a buyer. On the grant deed, there was also a 12ft x 12ft storage space that I had originally purchased with my condo. The buyer did not want to buy it so my realtor got a title company to remove it from the final escrow papers. The escrow papers have the addendum 'buyer does not purchase storage'. I also deducted the price of storage (20,000).

Here is where it gets twisted. Before moving, I went and sold the storage to another condo owner within the building. It was done as a personal transaction and she was going to notify the HOA of the transaction after she paid me in full. A month ago, the buyer found out that the storage was still on the grant deed. He went down to the storage, broke in and went through all the stuff in it. Then he changed the lock and sent me an email that the grant deed makes all other transaction moot and he is now the rightful owner of the storage. He also said that neither I nor the person who bought the storage from me, may enter.
I have contacted the HOA about this and the HOA has declined to take sides and asked that we solve this individually. This buyer is threatening to sue for the ownership of the storage. He is the one who knocked down $20,000 because he did not want the storage. How do I go proceed to either 1) make him pay for the storage or 2) give up the storage. Any advice would be welcome. Thank you so much.
PS-he says title company has no right to take the storage out of escrow papers, but he is the one who wanted to opt out of paying for the storage.

 

[Zigner]

You need an attorney. Period.

 

[army judge]

He went down to the storage, broke in and went through all the stuff in it. Then he changed the lock and sent me an email that the grant deed makes all other transaction moot and he is now the rightful owner of the storage. He also said that neither I nor the person who bought the storage from me, may enter.

The above is what MIGHT be considered an admission against interest or confessing to a crime and boasting of one's prowess.

You should consider reporting the event to the proper law enforcement agency. If you wish to involve law enforcement taking along a couple copies of the burglar's confession might be useful.

Good luck crime victim.

 

[adjusterjack]

The contract says he is not purchasing the storage unit. The price knock down was just taken off the original listed price.

You'll probably have to sue him to regain possession of the storage unit.

The contract may be all you need to prove that the intent was for him not to buy it and the grant deed was a mistake.

Although how you managed to miss that little detail on the grant deed is beyond me. Well, no it's not, you just didn't pay attention to the paperwork and got yourself into a big mess and now you're going to have to hire a lawyer, as suggested on the other sites that you posted.

 

[Disabled Vet]

The buyer did not want to buy it so my realtor got a title company to remove it from the final escrow papers. The escrow papers have the addendum 'buyer does not purchase storage'.

Since you used a title company to remove this storage unit...… What have they said? Since they were the ones doing the paperwork to remove the shed..... I would think they would have some type of guarantee in their process.