California Couple Buys Dream Home But Seller Refuses To Move Out

A California couple managed to buy the house of their dreams. But their fantasy was quickly shattered when the former owner used a COVID-19 eviction loophole to their advantage.

Over a year later, Tracie and Myles Albert are still trying to move into their new home.

According to Fox Business, the Alberts put down money on a four-bedroom home in Riverside on January 31, 2020.

The real estate agent handling the sale, Chris Taylor, said the owner needed over half a million dollars and demanded it on a Sunday meaning he wanted a cash buyer.

"It took us scrambling to get everything we had, our life savings put together, and a hard money loan on top of it to make that happen," said Myles. "We own the house outright. That's our house and it's all in a contract, written, legal, done."

But when the previous owner refused to give up the keys and move out, COVID-19 eviction rules prevented the couple from forcibly removing them.

"They have this case under a COVID tenant situation, of no evictions when it doesn't fall under that at all," said Myles. "This transaction went through in January 2020 before any of that, it isn't a renter who was getting thrown out. It's the guy who collected all of this money."

A local eviction attorney told Fox Business that this type of situation isn't unheard of. They have at least seven different cases "of this exact type of situation" at the moment.

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