Couple Spends $350K Life Savings on Parcel of Land, Only to Suffer Rough Blow as Dream Turns into Nightmare
A couple from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, invested $350,000 in a vacant lot with plans to build three houses. However, they soon discovered that the property was landlocked, meaning there was no legal access to it. The road they used to reach the lot was actually private property owned by nearby homes. Despite attempts to retract their purchase upon learning about this issue, the sale went through. They are now suing the seller and real estate agent for failing to disclose this critical information. Recently, they negotiated with a neighbor to buy a strip of land for access, which requires them to build a fence and pool for the neighbor, costing around $150,000. The couple has spoken to local media, hoping their experience will prevent others from encountering similar issues, expressing a desire for legal protections against purchasing landlocked properties.
It was a real estate deal that turned out to be too good to be true for one Florida couple.
Hani Levy and her husband, Maikel Gil Hernandez, sank $350,000 into a vacant lot in their Fort Lauderdale neighborhood in September of 2023.
Hernandez, a general contractor, envisioned building three houses on the half-acre parcel, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“I would have already had the houses built by now,” he told the news outlet.
But far too late, the couple discovered a huge drawback to the property: It’s landlocked, meaning there’s not a legal way to access the lot to build on it.
No one told them that the road they used to get to the property was on private property. It actually belongs to the properties on the other side of the roadway.
“It appears the lot may be rebuildable,” the zoning department told her via , Levy told WTVJ-TV.
They tried to back out of the deal when they learned of the access problem, but were unable to stop it from going through.
Now, they have filed a lawsuit against the seller and the listing agent over what they say was a failure to disclose critical information.
The real estate listing language described the lot as suitable for “new construction, build to suit residential,” Levy told WTVJ. She said she and Hernandez discussed the plans they had for the lot.
“That means that all our dreams, out of the windows,” she told WTVJ.
There may, however, be a light at the end of the tunnel, news talk radio WIBA reported.
Levy and Hernandez recently worked out a deal with a neighbor to buy a strip of land that will allow them access to the lot.
In return, the couple will build a fence and pool for the neighbor, to the tune of about $150,000.
Even though a happy ending may be in sight, the couple has d their cautionary tale with local media outlets.
“This has been a nightmare,” Levy told the Times. “I want the story to get out so other people do not run into the same problem.
“There should be some kind of law to protect people from buying landlocked land,” she said.
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