SerpApi.Org
An Ohio homeowner got more than they bargained for after purchasing a house, only to discover that part of the property’s detached garage had been rented out to someone they had never met.
The situation was shared in a viral Reddit post on Monday by user u/Top_Age4364, who said they learned about the unexpected arrangement roughly two months after buying the home.
According to the post, the detached garage on the property is divided into two separate storage sections. The new owner had already planned to tear down the smaller section because they did not need the extra space and intended to keep using the larger area.
That plan was interrupted when a man appeared at the property carrying a key and claiming he had been paying the previous homeowner to store belongings there.
The homeowner explained in the post: “Previous homeowner rented out part of my garage and the renter is refusing to remove his belongings.”
The man reportedly provided messages and payment receipts showing he had been paying $90 per month to use the space for nearly three years. The homeowner said he appeared unaware that the property had been sold and had even sent another payment to the previous owner after the house sale had already been completed.
Faced with the surprise discovery, the new owner informed the renter that the contents needed to be removed because the section of the garage was scheduled for demolition.
According to the post, the homeowner gave the man two weeks to clear out his belongings. However, the renter objected, claiming he had a verbal agreement with the previous owner allowing him to keep using the space until the end of the year.
The disagreement has left the homeowner unsure of their legal obligations.
In the post, they wrote: “I told him I need everything removed because I plan on demolishing that section. I gave him two weeks, but he says he had a verbal agreement allowing him to use it until the end of the year and that I cant remove his property or change the lock.”
Adding to the challenge, the homeowner said the amount of property stored inside the garage could make removal costly.
“There is enough stuff inside that clearing it professionally would probably cost a few hundred dollars, which I really dont want to take out of the money I planned for tearing it down,” the post continued.
The homeowner then turned to Reddit users for advice, asking whether the agreement with the previous owner would carry over following the property sale and what type of notice they would be required to provide.
The unusual dispute quickly attracted attention online. The post has received more than 2,700 upvotes and 114 comments, with users weighing in on the unexpected storage arrangement and the questions surrounding the renter’s belongings.
One user, Nousername_foundhere, commented: “He sent another payment after close and the previous owner accepted it? He is charging someone to rent space he doesn’t own. The renter was not disclosed to you presale. The previous owner is behaving fraudulently. Sounds like the renter is as much a victim as you are.”
Sleepmaster789 said: “Why not keep renting it to him for $90 a month especially since you don’t need it and plan on tearing it down, now you can make money off of it.”
Matt-r_hatter added: “You may end up with some sort of weird tenants rights issue. Try your realtor first. If that doesn’t work, file eviction with the courts. Put up some cameras also. Just in case the ‘tenant’ decides to retaliate.”
Newsweek reached out to u/Top_Age4364 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some extra details and they could appear on our website.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Gray R. Thomas
Related Articles
