The House Guest Trap

by Roberta Murphy

Last summer we sold a lovely $1.8 million Carlsbad, CA home to an out of area partnership. One partner lived in Los Angeles, and the other in New York. It was to be their retreat in paradise, and a place to meet potential clients.

In two short months, this paradise has turned into a real estate
nightmare that could rival that 1990 Melanie Griffiths film,
Pacific Heights with the evil tenant who just wouldn’t
quit. This true-life story is one that could give any homeowner nightmares.

Around six weeks ago, the Los Angeles partner invited a friend tostay at the Carlsbad home for “a short while.” He reasoned that she could keep an eye on things and meet appliance repair people. It was a casual arrangement.

The New York partner was not involved with the invitation, but decided to go with the flow–at least for “a short while.” A dangerous assumption was made that everything would work out in a timely fashion.

A couple of weeks ago, New York called the guest and advised that she should plan on departing around the first of February because the house would be full of invited business associates.

House Guest hung up on New York mid-sentence. Ever the calm one, NY wrote an email clearly and politely asking HG to be out of the home by Feb 3. The near-immedeiate
response from The Guest prompted New York to call me this morning pleading for help.It seems the partnership was given an ultimatim to provide a œseverance package to the guest before she would even consider making a move.

A call to the California Association of Realtors Legal Hotline confirmed my worst fear: They had a tenancy at will situation and if things were not resolved beforehand, the partnership would likely have to go through full eviction proceedings, which could take up to 90 days.

Meanwhile, New York is still planning to bring friends and associates to the home in early February. And if the House Guestfrom Hell has not departed, it will be a story for the textbooks (or the National Enquirer).

In the meantime, this appears to be a likely entry into Inmans œOne that got out of control category.