The Ramsey Show XX
[0] Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, it's the Ramsey Show, where we help people build wealth, do work that they love, and create actual amazing relationships.
[1] Open phones this hour, I am Dave Ramsey, your host, Rachel Cruz, number one bestselling author, host of the Rachel Cruz show, co -host of the Smart Money Happy Hour, and my daughter is your co -host today.
[2] Open phones at AAA 825 -5 -2 -2 -25.
[3] Andrew in Atlanta starts this hour.
[4] Hi, Andrew.
[5] How are you?
[6] Hey, Dave and Rachel.
[7] I'm doing very well.
[8] Good.
[9] What's up?
[10] So I've got a very complicated situation.
[11] My wife and I are very big fans of yours.
[12] We bought a house with, you know, 20 % down, 15 -year fixed -rate mortgage, no credit score, following the Ramsey plan, everything.
[13] And about four weeks ago, we had a septic leak in our yard.
[14] And so, you know, it's not a big deal.
[15] We're in four, five, or six.
[16] We've got the emergency fund, called a company out to come check it out.
[17] And as it turns out, it's coming from our neighbor's yard.
[18] And long story short, our neighbor is as broke as can possibly be.
[19] And essentially her, both of her parents passed away in the last year.
[20] And she doesn't even have the money to get probate through to get the house into her name, much less fix the septic leak.
[21] And so originally, if it was just a small thing, our church was going to try to help with it, but it's turned into $8 ,000 to $10 ,000 because they have to pump all of the septic uphill to a new drain field and everything.
[22] So it's going to be a whole big thing.
[23] And we're just trying to figure out what to do.
[24] And after discussing it with other people, I feel like our plan is to just suggest to her, hey, we'll help you pay to get the will through probate, and then you need to sell the house.
[25] She can't sell.
[26] You can't sell it.
[27] You can't get a health letter.
[28] Would she be able to, I mean, the house is falling apart, everything.
[29] I mean, she'd probably have to sell it for cash to an investor or something.
[30] Yeah, okay.
[31] I mean, because they're falling apart.
[32] The buyer can't get a mortgage on this if the septic tank's busted.
[33] So, because they're going to require a health department letter in any city.
[34] aware of to do that.
[35] She wouldn't be able to get a mortgage even if the septic was fixed.
[36] No, I'm not talking about her getting a mortgage.
[37] I'm talking about the buyer.
[38] Yeah, the buyer would not be able to get a mortgage on this house even with the sepice.
[39] Because it's in such bad shape.
[40] It's in very bad shape, yeah.
[41] Have you, do you have any idea what the price to take it through probate is?
[42] I don't.
[43] I would expect it to be.
[44] I believe that she has a lawyer she said was going to do it as a favor, but it's been six months.
[45] now and he basically said because it's a favor it's got to be back like lowest priority so i'll do it when i get around to it are they living in it yes they're living in it where are they going to go well if they sell the house they can take that money and rent something if not then there's also uh two years of unpaid property taxes and the uh okay so she you're right it is in her best interest aside from your problem, it's in her best interest to get the house sold.
[46] Because the house needs repairs to be habitable, $8 ,000 to be habitable just in the sewer system, a septic system alone.
[47] And obviously, you know, she's too broke to pay attention, bless her heart, and putting a little money in her pocket and restarting her life in a more hole is best for her.
[48] I agree with you.
[49] I think there's a good conclusion.
[50] Is she up for all of that?
[51] It sounds like you've had good discussions with her.
[52] Yeah, no, we're very close.
[53] I was able to be with her father when he passed away.
[54] And we had a very close relationship with them.
[55] She is very emotionally attached to the home and does not want to sell it.
[56] But at the same time, she has been, she has not worked in 10 years and she's unwilling to get a job.
[57] Well, you can't make her sell it.
[58] No, no, we can't.
[59] But the county will.
[60] No, they really won't.
[61] Put a lien on it if she's back in property taxes.
[62] Well, they may sell it.
[63] They may sell it for property taxes.
[64] There may be a tax sale on it.
[65] She may be forced to sell it, is what Andrew's saying.
[66] Or codes could condemn it and make her move.
[67] That kind of thing happens too.
[68] So, well, I mean, if you pay for it to go through probate and then she does nothing, nothing has happened.
[69] You just wasted the money, right?
[70] Yes.
[71] So I'm not going to pay for it to go through probate unless I have her agreement in writing that she's going to sell the house.
[72] right yes because otherwise you're just throwing good money after bad and it doesn't solve it's not going to solve the problem and that's the way we saw paying for the septic stuff even if it was a smaller issue it's just yeah just enables her to continue to stay in a situation that's not good for her yeah yes okay um so with the sell of the home would they be forced then to fix the septic the buyer of the home would probably be an investor that's going to renovate the home, including the septic, in order to put it back on the market and do a flip on it, would be my guess.
[73] I mean, that could take, I mean, six months.
[74] Oh, it's going to take a while.
[75] So do you just have septic running into Andrew's yard?
[76] Do you know what I mean?
[77] Yeah, that's my, that's my problem.
[78] Yeah.
[79] Is regardless of the route, if she does not sell the house immediately to someone, then either we're paying for it or it's just going to keep coming into our yard.
[80] Yeah.
[81] Or you're going to create some kind of a bar, a landscaping barrier that redirects it back into her yard.
[82] Yeah.
[83] Is it a lot?
[84] Like, is it?
[85] It's not a lot.
[86] It was very bad at first.
[87] I think they're just using less water, honestly, but it's coming up from underneath the ground.
[88] So it's not like flowing into our yard.
[89] It's like bubbling up in a puddle.
[90] Yeah.
[91] That's pretty gross.
[92] It's terrible.
[93] Yes, there it is.
[94] Terrible.
[95] That's a crappiest call I've gotten a day.
[96] Oh, man. Bless your heart.
[97] I don't know.
[98] I mean, I'm going to start investigating some things I can do to just, from a landscaping or grading perspective on your land, to just redirect it back over onto hers, and because it doesn't sound like this lady's going to follow through.
[99] She's going to wait until this all comes down.
[100] She's not going to act.
[101] She's going to wait until the whole thing comes down around her head.
[102] That's what you're describing to me. her to not lose her entire house.
[103] Yeah, but that's not, that's not, we can't control that if we can't make, unless you have her committed, unless you have her, you know, have her declared mentally ill and the court takes over her life.
[104] That's the only way you can do that.
[105] And so, and obviously she's not there.
[106] She's just not, you know, she's just in denial.
[107] So I think you, you know, I'm going to, as her friend, I'm going to continue to recommend that she do that.
[108] And, you know, if you're willing to put the house on the market, because honey, I think that's what's good for you.
[109] I'll help you by paying for it to go through probate.
[110] But I'm not going to do that if you're just going to sit over there and let the thing rot around your head.
[111] Yeah.
[112] Because I love you too much to participate in your delusion.
[113] And I really, I don't want that.
[114] I don't, I want what's good for you.
[115] And you can act in her best interest and at the same time end up solving your problem.
[116] Yes.
[117] But I don't think, I think, you know, you can offer to do that.
[118] And even if she puts it in writing, I still think you're going to have trouble.
[119] because I think this is an emotional person, not a logical.
[120] She's not making logical decisions or it'd already be on the market.
[121] And so, yeah, and so you're going to have to figure out a way to landscape your yard, reset some stuff to create a puddle on her side of the line, you know?
[122] I'm sorry.
[123] Wow, what a gross mess.
[124] I don't have a good answer for you, but that's a, you're pursuing this properly and with the right spirit.
[125] You're a kind person.
[126] Thank you for that.
[127] This is The Ramsey Show.
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