Amish Above the Law 1 Chapter 7 of 20 Storms and Rainbows The appraisal had been done and time was passing with no word from anyone. We had meet with the appraiser and everything looked good except we had to have a heating system. We werent too worried about that, after all, the bank said if we were within $5,000 of repairs, we could close and put the system in after we moved in. Two weeks passed with still no appraisal report. I contacted the realty to see if they had heard anything. Well, I did get an email last week from the appraisal company but Im not sure if its the report. My computer wouldnt open it Last week?! I asked her to forward it to me. The subject of the email was Wood Appraisal. It was our report. An entire week had been wasted. We called the bank to get things underway to close and were told FHA guidelines required that we either had to show proof that there was once heat in the house, or that the heat was hooked up. The house did have gas heat at one time. I went to the last English owner’s house and got a statement from him. Scanned it and sent it to the bank. The underwriters would not accept it. Not good enough. We had to have the heat hooked up and turned on. What about being within $5K of repairs? We dont understand, you said if we were within $5K of repairs we could close and then put the heat in! The banks reply was You have two options. You can do the work yourself, the appraiser will come back out and pass you, or you can still close but well have to move you to another type of loan that will take a little while longer to process before you close. You wont be able to do the work yourself, youll have to hire someone that we can pay directly and that money will become part of your mortgage. If we hired someone it would cost twice as much as if Dan did it himself and it would add onto our mortgage but did we have enough money to put the heat in and close too? How could this be happening? The real estate company owner asked to meet with us at the farm to talk about the heat. We knew he was antsy and wanted to close this sale. Dan showed him what looked like a gas well. Dan also found and showed him the pipes that went into the house. It was decided Dan would call the previous English owner and discuss the gas situation. The talk turned to the OGM’s on the farm. The real estate owner said this is the only property I have that comes with the OGM’s. The gas company was coming this direction and were supposed to be here in September but it looks like they wont be coming through until March. Now, when they do come through, dont take the first lease you get offered. Wait until the actual gas company comes through because they will pay top dollar and they are paying up to $4,000 an acre It gave us a spark of hope that everything we had been through was going to be worth it. Dan called the previous owner and found out that what was thought to be a well, was not. The house had gas from a utility company. This felt like good news! No baling a well, no running pipes! Dan called the gas company. They still had the previous English owners account number and would meet with Dan. The meeting went great! He gave us an account form to fill and said it would be no charge to run the gas line. Finally. Things were looking up! A couple days later he called and apologized. In his research he learned the gas line to hook into was dead. It would cost us $11,800 for a new one. We went to the farm and sat on the back porch. Why had this all happened. We didnt understand. Dans handsome chiseled face was strained looking, aged. My own face felt the same. My mind was buzzing with emptiness. Numbness as I looked at him and said We have worked hard and we have been honest. We could have played dirty, but we didnt. We could have taken the things we wanted off the property until after close but we didnt because we arent like that. Weve been patient and have kept going and you know what? Thats all God asks. He asks that we do our best. Hell do the rest We had seen the light in what that lawyer had told us. To make waves struck fear in us. It was the real estate, the bank, the Bishop and the seller against us. No one was helping us. They were watching us drown. They stood to lose nothing. If we gave up, they would gain a home they could sell for much, much more than it was listed for. If we gave up, our dreams of owning a farm or even a home, would be gone for a very long time. We had taken a loan from a retirement fund. Sold the boat. We were at the end of what money we had. As we drove to our rented farm I looked out the passenger window. A rainbow as bright and as we had ever seen beamed so beautifully. In the 8 miles we had to drive it followed us. It didnt fade until we were almost home. Well never forget it. Dan contacted a local propane company and someone to help him put heat ducts in. If we played our cards right we could do this and just get by with closing costs. We kept in mind that after the heat was put in, there was nothing else left wed have to do. The appraiser herself told us we would pass. This nightmare would end. I had spent any spare moment I could come up with throughout the summer fulfilling my obligation as the president of our towns Old Home Day festival. It was to be a day of activities and events. So much work, so much planning with only a hand full of people putting it all together. The day arrived with rain and dark clouds. It didnt stop. Shortly after the rain soaked parade it was my decision in what to do when a tornado warning was issued. I asked that for safeties sake, everyone go home. Dan was at the farm every chance he had to be there. A ten hour day at work and then six to eight at the farm. I spent much of the time Dan was gone, working, packing our rented farm house and joining my Brothers and Sisters as we sorted through our parent’s belongings. A painful task met with many breaks for sobbing at memories that were being packed in boxes. An email from my Sister Sally summed it up. Did that really just happen? Heartache rushed in over and over until the house was empty. The boxes of my parent’s things I took to the farm would sit unopened for months. The appraisal follow up date was set for Friday September 21, 2012. The work was done and the heat was turned on for the first time, fifteen minutes before the appraiser arrived. We passed. According to the bank, they would get the report Monday and we could close just a few days later. We were finally there. This hellish nightmare was finally over. Soon we could start our happily ever after. At the time, we didnt know it wasnt over. Chapter 8 of 20 Blackmail We took the weekend to just breathe.” Everything was done, all we could do was just wait. The paper work was in progress. We knew that when the Bishop found out closing would be soon, he may try to get the shelves and counter from the store. Dan put locks on the house. We had too much invested in materials to have anything happen. Besides that, there was no longer any of the seller’s items inside. Those items had been gone for over a month. Dan put a lock on the door of my store to save my shelves from being taken. Almost all of the personal property had been taken and there were only a few things left inside. Junk, papers, rags. We would put a note on the building that we would unlock it for them if they wanted what was left inside. That way we could be there to save the shelving. I wrote the realty company and informed them we would be charging $5 a day per sheep for board if they were still there when we closed. Monday September 24th. Dan walked in from work looking haggard but happy. We had both been working extra hours to try to save any money we could in case we were short when it came to closing. We had been paying all of our regular bills at the rented farm and the electric bill at the farm. Every time Jake came and used the barn water or the Bishops Daughter came with a wagon full of jugs to fill, our electric pump ran. There was nothing we could do about it. Dan said Let’s go check on the farm and make sure the heater is still dong ok I replied Were almost to closing, I think we should stay away. I just dont think the Bishop is done with us. I have a bad feeling. Dan and I agreed that if we went around the hill and came in on the backside of the farm, the Bishop may not even know we were there. We pulled into the driveway and with keys in hand, walked to the side door and let ourselves in. Within a just a few minutes we heard the front door knob. Someone was trying to open the locked door. Unbelievable. It was him. Dan let him in and greeted him with a smile, just as he and I had always done. Not a genuine smile. They were smiles in fear of what he could do to our lives at the drop of a hat. What kind of power did this man hold that everyone was so afraid of him? Exactly how much control had he had on this sale? Did the seller ever have any say at all in anything? Obviously the real estate company wouldnt stand up to him and we werent in any position to tell him off. Not now. Not so close to closing. Not with our financial future on the line. In any conversation with him I always felt he looked down at me. A dumb woman. He would not discuss important matters with me. I stayed near and listened as the Bishop and Dan talked. Did they bring back those fence panels to you after the auction? Dan replied that they did and thanked him for their return. We all walked outside through the tall grass to the barn so he could see where they were. The Bishop wanted to make sure all 13 of them had been returned. There they were, leaning up against the back of the barn. The real estate company is supposed to pay the seller for those fence panels. As I walked ahead of them I heard the Bishops voice in a low tone meant for only Dan to hear. Wouldnt it be a shame if you put all this work and money into this house and then the seller wouldnt sign and you lost it? I chose to pretend not to have heard it and made my way to the Amish store. The Bishop approached the store and started to speak but as he turned the knob to open the door he found it was locked. His eyes met Dans. Are you going to be interested in buying that shelving? I spoke up and commanded his attention. The real estate said that anything bolted to the walls comes with the property” He nodded his head and gave me a look that made me feel uncomfortable. A cocky evil smile as he said Okay. The next day was full of paperwork and phone calls. I had made arrangements to meet with the insurance company at the farm. Dan couldnt make it so I would go alone. 11:00 Wednesday. We were told closing would be Friday. The seller was alerted to get the papers signed and overnighted. Wednesday morning the phone rang at 7AM. It was the Bishop leaving an angry message. Two more hang ups followed. Dear Real Estate Company, “Do either of you know whats wrong with The Bishop? He left a message at 7 this morning obviously very angry. The message said we need to talk....you need to come up here tonight and we need to talk I have to be there at 11 today to let the insurance guy in. I know the Bishop will march himself right over to the house if he sees movement there and unload on me with whatever he sees wrong now. Is anyone willing to be there with me? My stress limit is maxed and I just cant take any more from him. Lori, “The real estate company owner is going to be over that way and he would be more than willing to take the interference away from you. If you want Ill meet you there at 11:00. Just say the word. Dear Real Estate Company, “Dan and I are both very upset. We think the Bishop wants money for the shelving and panels, or he wants to take them. He has already threatened us that if things are not paid for/taken care of, the seller will not sign the papers. Dan is ready to give him everything he wants just so we dont lose the house. Yes, I would like the real estate company owner to do anything he can to save this sale and if you can be there at 11 that would be great. Thanks so much. Lori, “I will be there for you. As I said at the first appraisal if the seller borrowed or let someone put the panels there for use while it was on the market he has no right to them, nor do you unfortunately. However the shelving is a different ball game. Dont worry we will all agree to do what’s best for you & Dan going to closing. I’ll see you at 11:00 WHAT!? The anger in me welled up inside. She told us no such thing, ever! What is going on here? The fence panels were out in the pasture attached to other fencing when we looked at the farm, put our offer in and signed the contract. The contract clearly states fencing. Not just attached fencing, all fencing. As with the fence that surrounded the farm, we werent told any different. Our offer was based on what was there. Had she forgotten all of those emails about the fence panels? Had she forgotten that she told us to lock them up in the barn because they were ours? How could she do this to us? The phone rang. It was Dan, obviously upset and rambling. He told me I needed to call the real estate company right away. I called and talked to the only person in the office we trusted. She said The seller was ready to sign the papers and get them in the mail. The Bishop got a hold of him and now he will not sign any papers until he gets a written signed statement from you saying that you and Dan do not want the store shelves, fencing panels and sheep and you want everything off the property immediately A feeling I cant even explain in words came over me. Distraught. Frustration. Shock. Sick to my stomach. Defeated. I felt the energy drain from me. We were being black mailed. We had no choice. We had so much money tied up into the farm, we couldnt lose it now when we were only 3 days away from closing. With a shaky hand and tears streaming, as she recited what the statement should say, I wrote the statement, scanned it and forwarded it to the real estate company. The name of the scanned file was AUD for Amish under Duress. If we ever went to court I wanted this to take with us. Everything had happened so fast and I was late to meet with the insurance man. In my hurry and anguish I misspelled the real estate company email address. I sat at the farm alone in the car for a while. I had missed the appointment with the insurance man. He had come and gone. The real estate owner and agent pulled into the driveway. They could see the strain in my face as I said black mail at its finest A text came. It was their office. They hadnt received the blackmail statement and needed it by noon to send to the seller so he would sign off on the house and overnight the papers. I was handed a piece of scrap paper by the real estate company owner and I began to write. The agent spoke up. Well, those shelves are in a store and if we classify it as a store then the loan would have to be redone, so those are theirs anyway. You need to give them time after closing to get things. A week would be good Angry that she was insulting my intelligence about the difference between a store and a shed with shelving in it I replied If we have to give them time well give them 24 hours after closing and no longer. They took the statement and sped to the office to scan and send it to the seller. There it was. We had now lost everything we hoped to keep. No one fought for us. No one helped us. No one cared about us at all. I unlocked the store and went home in a haze of mental exhaustion. ************************************************************************** Amish Above the Law 1 & 2 are available on amazon
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 05:30:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015