New Jersey is one of only a handful of states that allows homeowners to foreclose on their own homes for the cost of repairs, but when that house is under water and it’s underwater it’s not uncommon for homeowners to get sued.
In December, a New Jersey woman sued a home appraiser who had listed the home for sale for $300,000, claiming that the appraiser had “no legal authority to sell” the property, according to the Courant.
The woman, who identified herself as Rosemary Stiles, sued her real estate agent for $150,000 after he “failed to adequately assess and repair the house after the fire,” according to court documents.
The home was listed for sale on the city’s real estate website on April 6, but the house has not been in use since April 21, according a copy of the listing obtained by Courant shows.
The listing is for a single-family home in the city of St. Albans, but Stiles told the Courrant that her home is in use as a hotel and that the listing did not indicate that she was selling the property.
In a statement to Courant, Stiles said she would be seeking legal remedies in her case against the appraisers and the listing agent.
Stiles is represented by the attorney general’s office, which is conducting an investigation into the matter.
St. Alban Mayor Michael Pare said in a statement that the city “will be vigorously pursuing any and all avenues to get this home restored to the original condition as soon as possible.”
Pare said the city has made it a priority to get the house back in its original condition.
He also said the owner of the house, the appraisals agency, and the appraised value of the home were all accurate.
