Estate sale procedures

Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.

Estate sale procedures

Dear Phyllis,

I have been following your real estate question and answer column for years. I have a new subject I don’t believe you have discussed. We sold our home with the same Realtor who helped us with our purchase more than twenty years ago. Because we were relocating to South Carolina to be near our grandchildren, our agent referred us to someone who could manage the estate sale after our move. My sister agreed to water, take out the trash, and generally keep an eye on the home for us after we left. Once we had cleared out what we were taking with us, the remaining items were tagged for sale.

My sister noticed a vanity stool that was tagged for $125.00. She asked me if she could have it and of course I said yes. The estate saleswoman complained to our agent that it should not have been removed. Our agent requested that I pay the estate person the $125.00. The commission we paid was over $100,000. I paid the $125.00 but was surprised. I think because we moved out of state, she felt there was no more business to be gained by us. Can you chime in on estate sales procedures?

Disgruntled

Dear Disgruntled,

Like Realtors, estate sale procedures and rules can vary from person to person. The woman I use for estate sales has complained to me about items being removed after taking inventory and before the sale. It is a common occurrence that family members or close friends will ask for things. However, she has never asked for the home seller to reimburse her. I have given her enough business over the years that she chalks it up as to the cost of doing business.

From my understanding, this situation could have been handled differently. Your agent could have reached out to the estate salesperson and requested that they let this go, understanding the circumstances of your move. Alternatively, the agent could have paid the $125 and resolved the issue without involving you. These are just a couple of potential solutions that could have prevented this situation from tarnishing your memories of selling your home of twenty years and moving out of state.