Chapter 7 - The Buyer Had Already Paid Him Money
Martin had not purchased my house.
Important distinction.
There was no valid deed.
No transfer.
No closing.
What existed was an agreement between Martin’s company and David.
A contingent purchase option.
David represented that he expected to become authorized to act for me.
Martin’s attorney had warned him title authority was unresolved.
Martin accepted that risk because the proposed price was attractive.
He paid David a $75,000 option fee.
Personally.
Not to me.
Not to a trust.
David.
Rebecca stared at the contract.
“Where is the money?”
David said nothing.
Sarah answered:
“Gone.”
That became the first glimpse of the financial problem they had hidden.
David’s remodeling business had been failing for nearly a year.
Two major projects went over budget.
A subcontractor sued.
A commercial client withheld payment.
Then David borrowed against receivables that never arrived.
He owed more than $300,000.
Sarah had debt too.
Credit cards.
Not millions.
Enough that panic had become their household language.
They did not move into my house because their new place:
“Wasn’t ready.”
There was no new place.
Their lease ended because they could not afford renewal.
David had lied because he was ashamed.
I asked:
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He laughed bitterly.
“So you could write another check?”
That confused me.
“I would have helped.”
“Exactly.”
His anger did not make sense yet.
Then Sarah said:
“We needed something that was ours.”
I looked at my house behind me.
“This isn’t yours.”
Her eyes hardened.
“David was told his entire life it would be.”
I turned toward him.
He looked away.
And suddenly the problem became less comfortable.
Because Sarah was not entirely inventing that belief.
I had said it.
More than once.
Someday this will all be yours.
At birthdays.
After Jack died.
Whenever David told me I should sell the house.
Someday.
May you like
I meant after I was gone.
Apparently that detail had become negotiable.
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