Selling a Damaged Rental With an Ex Still on the Deed in Broken Arrow: How One Couple Got Out in 28 Days
From the curb, the house looked fine.
Then the door opened. The smell of dog urine hit first, and it was unbearable. There were fist holes in the interior doors. The trim was scraped raw by dog claws. Every blind in the house had been chewed away. The countertops were stained, and the air filter had not been changed in a long time.
"This was an absolute nightmare," the owner told us. "Never be a landlord."
But the damage wasn't the real problem. The deed was.
A normal decision
She had owned the house for five years. When she got married two years ago, she and her husband made the choice a lot of couples make. They moved in together and kept her house as a rental. A little extra income, and something to build on.
It was their first rental. Two years later, it was not the house she had spent so much time in.
Why it wouldn't sell
They listed the house with a Realtor. Two buyers made offers. Both walked.
They didn't walk because of the smell. Repairs and price can handle a smell. They walked because the title couldn't be cleared.
In her divorce years earlier, she had been awarded the house. But her ex-husband never signed a quitclaim deed back to her. His name was still on title, and he believed he still had a piece of the equity coming.
A title company won't close a sale when an owner of record won't sign. So every deal stalled in the same place. After two failed buyers, and too many showings that sent the Realtor back to her car smelling like dogs, the listing had nowhere to go.
What we did
I walked the house with them and talked through the whole situation. The damage didn't worry us, because we buy houses as-is. The title was the part that needed solving, so that's where we started.
I met with the ex-husband. Once he heard what had happened to the house, the equity he thought he was owed looked very different. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed to sign the house over.
With title clear, we closed in 28 days.
How it ended
The couple got out with no repairs, no cleanout and no third buyer to wait on. Their Realtor got paid on a listing that had nearly stalled out. We took on the rehab and brought the house back to market.
If this is you
Check who is on your deed. County land records show who holds title. Broken Arrow sits in both Tulsa and Wagoner counties, so check the one your house is in. If an ex is still listed, find out now, not when a buyer is waiting.
Read your divorce decree. It may say who gets the house. Whether that alone clears title is a question for a real estate attorney.
Get signatures while things are calm. Asking an ex to sign is easier before there is money on the table.
If you're a landlord, see the house in person. Walk it every few months and change the filters yourself. Damage like this builds slowly.
If buyers keep walking over title, fix the title before you cut the price. A lower price won't make a missing signature appear.
If you're stuck with a rental you don't want, or a title problem that keeps killing your sale, read how we help with selling a house during or after a divorce, how we buy damaged houses as-is, or how to sell your house fast in Broken Arrow. Or call us at (918) 212-5442.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to an attorney about your own situation.
Common questions
Can I sell my house in Oklahoma if my ex is still on the deed?
Not without their signature or a court order that clears title. A title company won't insure a sale when an owner of record hasn't signed. Sometimes the divorce decree helps, and sometimes a quitclaim deed or a court action is needed. An attorney can tell you which applies to you.
Can I sell a rental house in Broken Arrow or Tulsa as-is with pet damage?
Yes. Cash buyers purchase houses with odor, damage and deferred maintenance. You skip the repairs in exchange for a price that reflects the work. Compare that against what you would net after repairing and listing.
Why do buyers back out over title problems?
Lenders and title insurers require clear title. If an owner of record won't sign or there is an unresolved claim, the sale can't close, so buyers move on.
