Do You Make Up Your Own Interpretation Of A Real Estate Sales Contract?

I make sure my buyers get it done and am so surprised when agents don't mention this until closing.  It's on my check list.  I have a closing on Thursday and my buyers have the transfer already scheduled for Thursday. 

I have never understood why some turn off the utilities.  All that is needed is a final reading and name changed on the service.  Why make it more difficult???

Cindy, I communicate with the other agent advising that they will be going off after the closing and that the buyer needs to be proactive and get deposits and their orders placed before the closing. I have seen too many times where a buyer said they would do it the next day and 2 weeks later they are still riding on the sellers utilities.

Cindy, I agree with Kathy...final reading and change name on the service account.

I've only had it happen once in 12 years where the seller actually had them turn off the service, instead of just do a billing change. 

Billing change - so easy.     Some make life so complicated.....

We have it easy here, just call, tell the utility company the date they need to switch service over into the new owners / renters names, and it's done.  They do not turn off the utility service, because that would mean them coming out to turn it back on.  

This is a good point to clarify for every settlement. Buyer agents need to make sure their clients will not be in the dark.

Happy Autumn!

I recommend buyers have the utilities switched to their name the day of closing. I'd hate for them to be sitting in the dark their first night in their new home.

I had this conversation just the other day with some sellers.  It is those pesky Friday settlements and the attitude of, "It is no longer mine, so I'm not paying," that can get a seller in trouble with that language.

Cindy, I communicate with the buyer or seller and also with the other agent just to make sure that we are all on the same page for utilities.  

Cindy,

I can see the confusion. I always tell my clients to make sure they turn on/off the utilities. I If they turn them off then it can costthe new person a turn on fee in addition to sitting in the dark the first night in their new home.

I always verify at closing regardless of what side I am representing because if I get a negative answer from the buyers, I pick up the phone myself, dial the utility company and then hand the phone over to the buyers to get it done on the spot.

It is what it is and that's in Writing!  We should never make ASSUMPTIONs!  I always have my sellers call the week o closing, once all has been confirmed and inform the utility companies that they're closing on such and such a day and the new owners will be calling on the day of closing. We have buyers call right after closing to confirm to the utility companys that they have now closed.  

I always suggest to the buyer to get utilites switched over day of closing. Here is about 3 phone calls which they have to do anyway.

Real estate contracts are interpreted a lot like the bible, unfortunatley.  Buyers and sellers alike interpret what they read to their liking.

Every situation is different, like people, real estate markets.

Oh my, I could only imagine the horror of buying a home and the lights not turning on. In Toronto, Ontario, the way that I manage things is always done through a lawyer. Working with knowledgeable lawyers with proven track records is nothing short of a necessity!