Sellers Refuse 1 week extension to close

[Adam Sanders]

I am trying to complete a one-time close construction loan in Minnesota. I enter into a purchase agreement on July 8th for the land to close on September 18th. The sellers were required by purchase agreement to provide a land survey.  They did not complete the survey until August 19th.  Now partly due to how late the survey was I need one more week to finalize everything, but the sellers are refusing to sign an extension.  What can I do?  Hire a real estate attorney?  Other ideas? Thanks for your help in advance

[Greg Stetz]

Definitely consult a RE attorney. Sellers may be in breach of contract and if they don’t performand are not willing to adhere to the contract, you may have to force them legally. I had something similar happen over the summer where the sellers had five weeks to move out and downsize to an apartment. They wanted an extra week. I tried but had a triple simultaneous closing all on the same day. Their listing agent threatened to sue but I showed him the contract and it all closed on time. I did consult a RE attorney through my local Realtor board (free service for members). She helped me and my broker too. I’d also recommended a face to face conversation if possible to reconcile the issue. Use negotiation and tact to get the relationship back on track. Good luck and God bless.