Advice Needed - House for sale, realtor states chickens prevent sales!

[juliab]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Unfortunately, the realtor can only be let go if my husband and the ex agree, due to the house and sales agreement being in both names. The ex has already filed a petition to lower the price of the house so it will sell quicker, while she still wants to get her full amount. We can't do that since that will leave a balance owed to her afterward! The realtor wrote a letter "to whom it may concern" which the ex's lawyer included in the petition with the phrase that "chickens are a deterrent to selling the house" included in the letter. We have a scheduled court date next week.
We are in Bucks county PA.
In our counter to her petition, we are requesting to let the realtor go. We surely do know she is not working in our best interest, she wants her friend to get her payoff as fast as possible.
We didn't have warning that the chickens would be brought into this, so I was not able to move them or take them when the house was being shown. Their coop is obviously for chickens, and they have a 4-foot electric mesh fence around them that we rotate around the yard.

I will certainly make sure the realtor is asked to mention that the chickens are going with us. They are pets, members of the family, my birthday presents from my husband and daughter. We would not leave them behind.
Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions!

This was my first post, and I am so glad to have found this site through the backyard poultry magazine

Julia

 

[australorpchick]

I have the complete opposite experience. The people who bought our house, loved the chickens and were thinking of getting some.

 

[Catstar68]

Here's an idea, can you get another real estate agent to come and look at the house and perhaps give their opinion on if the chickens are a problem and if the house is priced fairly? It might be helpful to have a competing point of view when you go to court.
If the chickens are going with you, I don't see them as a sales deterrent anymore than say having a dog and a doghouse (that will go away when sold) or a few kids and a swingset (ditto on the going away with the sale

).

 

[WingingIt]

Quote:
This is what I was going to say, too. Get other realtors out there to give you a market analysis of what the house should be listed for, comments that the fact that there are animals (pets) there that will be leaving with the sellers is not different than people with a dog pen in the back yard that they will take with them. You also want a list of recent sales showing what comparable properties are selling for per sq. ft.

You want to show that the realtor is providing only their opinion and that the opinion isn't necessarily correct, per these other realtors. Then introduce everything you have to show that the realtor is a friend of the ex and that they need to be removed and replaced with another realtor. Go on the offense instead of just playing defense, in other words. Good luck!

 

[juliab]

I just spoke to my husband who is going to inquire about other realtor opinions. We did have an appraiser here last week, who confirmed that the chickens would not affect the value of the property either.

We are not about to throw in the towel on this!

Julia

 

[Catstar68]

Quote:
It sounds like you have things well in hand! good luck with everything.

sending you good vibes.

 

[Baymule]

Also, realtors work under brokers. Does this realtor's broker (boss) know what she is up to? If she is making the house more difficult to sell, that is money out of the broker's pocket as well. Follow the money.

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Quote:
It sounds like you have things well in hand! good luck with everything.

sending you good vibes.

Agreed! And

, sure hope you stick around!!

All I can say really, and I'm in the market to buy a home (unfortunately not in PA), for me an existing coop on the property would be a HUGE plus!!

Edited for clarity.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Having had my share of experience in house buying and selling? I suggest you call the supervisor of the agent and explain that you feel there is a conflict of interest with your current agent and would like a release from you contract and then list with a different agency. If you have lawyer and you SHOULD, I would have them notify the agency of your concern. The lawyer would better be able to handle the problem.

If it is not a problem I would move the chickens temporarily and just leave a cleaned out coop. Look at it this way, you are going to have to move the chickens at some point and time anyhow, so to save the grief try to find a temporary home until you move to your new place.

Above all things, TALK TO YOUR LAWYER. YOU CAN NOT , NOT AFFORD TO HAVE ONE. IT IS A NECESSITY.

I wish you all the best

Rancher

"show me a man who represents himself and i'll show you a man who has a fool for a lawyer"- Ben Franklin

 

[Spookwriter]

At the very least, include pictures when you go before the court again.

Guessing from comments, this is a moveable coop you're talking about?
You move it around the yard? Either way, it stays with you when the property
is sold.

I would think the most possible damage the chickens could possibly do would
be to kill the grass, create a "deadspot" if left in one spot to long. So prepare
for their complaint by having your own pictures ready.