The Wrong Lot, Part 1

 Okay I have to take a deep breath on this one. Every time we remember it, our blood pressure shoots up!

 It was October. My husband and sons were getting the porch roof sheathing up. As these things go, the only free times were after work in the dark, or on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. This day was Sunday afternoon. I was still in my Sunday finery, we had finished lunch and the RV was still in the Sunday Morning State (if you know what I mean). I was contemplating when to start in cleaning it up when a truck pulled up the driveway. As my husband tells it, it will always be a black SUV that pulled up the driveway, but I maintain it was a silver pickup. We will never agree I know, but we'll always remember what a shock it brought!

 

My husband was up putting the big boards of sheathing up on the back part of the porch roof (similar to the photo above), when a lady got out of the pickup, looked up and spoke. His first thought was "I had better get down off of here before I fall off!" so he was able to put himself in a safe spot before processing what she had just said. 

What she said was "I'm afraid there's been a mistake. You are building your house on the wrong lot."

My first thought upon hearing this was that it was some sort of scam and this person was trying to somehow collect some reason to sue us! I had heard about people getting their deed stolen or forged... so I went on my guard. But when I heard her name, I knew who she was from the tax map. She was the owner of the lot next door. 

There was no convincing her of that fact-- no, she said, she had been coming to this lot for thirty years. Every year, in fact, to picnic and take a hike, except for the past three years her family was not able to make the trip to check on their property. 

She said it was probably not our fault, but that it must be a mistake from the title company. She said maybe we could trade lots to make it right. Something would be done to fix it... all the while she looked astonished and disturbed at a half-built house on the lot she thought was hers.

I was still wary; after all this could have all been made up! But I decided to invite her into the RV and pull out the proof that indeed, this was our lot. I showed her documents, Title company records, I showed her the names of the previous owners of the lot, I showed her the county tax map online, I showed her her name on the other lot. She just shook her head. 

 It was Sunday, there was nothing she could do but wait until Monday and go into town and see what had happened. She still maintained it must have been the Title company's mistake. She said she would go to the Tax office in the morning and check the maps in person. So she got our contact information and left. 

Still thinking we were going to be scammed for some reason, and wondering if I gave out too much information, I trembled but knew that we were in the right. We did all that we were supposed to do to secure a lot that was for sale, we had all the paperwork, receipts and research. As upset as I felt, my husband was far, far more shaken than I was. He sat on the floor in shock for a long time!

We just had to wait until the tax office opened Monday morning. 

To Be Continued....