My 82 year old Mother is Being Harassed to Sell her Property and I need Help!
For the past year,we think a developer has been harassing my 82 year old mother to get her to sell her property.

They are using scare tactics,banging on the doors/windows,prank calling at all hours and she is sleeping odd hours (mostly during day) because she is terrified at night.

The police are involved but can't do much without proof,such as video (we are installing outside cameras in two weeks).

The back story is this.She and 3 other home owners have high value properties and were approached by a developer to sell.

My mom being one of the 4 refuses,but the other three have consented to the sale.

That means of course,that the developer cannot go forward with their plans because they do not have all the properties they need for the condos or apartments they want to build.

We are at our wit's end and my mom is getting more and more scared and we need advice from people who have experience in either developing properties or law enforcement as to what exactly we can do.

Is it really worth for the developer to hire someone to scare my elderly mother into selling her property? How common is this.

Besides video surveillance and flood lights,what can we do to help her? Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated
[{"id": "ce149m0", "text": "Do you two live in the same area?", "replies": [{"id": "ce14ljm", "text": "no shes 4 hours from me", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ce14esp", "text": "get her a tenant -- somebody scary like a cop.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ce19wdz", "text": "The harassment could be coming from the neighbors as well.\n\nIf your grandmother has the finances and interest, hiring a detective could probably lead to finding the culperates. \n\nDepending on what your grandmother's long term intentions are, she has some options.  If she is open to selling, there is a technique called a life estate(?) Where she could sell now but retain right to reside for her life. If she wants to keep the property in the family she should confront who ever is doing this.  In particular if it is the developed, they need to be publicly shamed.  It is so unethical to behave that way it is appalling. She can talk with them directly, and the local media, and other developers, and the lenders this developer uses.  \nThere is a developer's code of ethics but professional shame is the only form of enforcement.\n\nAlso, talking to a real estate lawyer and reviewing any easements or right of ways could be useful in holding off the developer.\n\n", "replies": [{"id": "ce1g0vk", "text": "I was going to say this also. It is just as likely that the source is one of the neighbors. The whole late night door banging is indicative of someone that lives nearby.\n\nA concealed camera should catch whomever is doing this. Just make sure that nobody sees you installing it or they will know where it is an avoid it.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "ce1j6xw", "text": "Life estate could be tricky as careless developers could force her into \"dying\" suddenly or in a short amount of time.\n\nMy suggestion is (because she starts to get old and also if she agrees)\n\n- She could pass on the property to someone trustworthy (AKA OP or another sure family member) and then the person who get the ownership of the house let her live there until she passes away (as u/i-i-i-iwanttheknife mentioned \"life estate\" but to a family member). \nI'm sure it could bring much relief to her as she won't be the owner anymore and therefore has no decisional power over ownership (but I would make sure she does stay in her house until she passes away). Once the developer will be inform of this information, it might either change and stalk you or just let it go...\n\nInstalling camera or hiring an investigator or lawyer are also good solutions if you got the financial means to do so.\n\nAlso do you know whether the other 3 properties have been sold or if they are waiting to be concluded with regards to your mother's house? \nThat could helped to solve if neighbours are getting involved in the process too. Someone waiting to sell their high-value property could do crazy thing to get things go their way\n\nHope it helped\n\n", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cepoain", "text": "Something sounds off to me...\n\nI'm a commercial real estate developer and I've never even heard of something like this happening. Lots of letters, phone calls, eminent domain proceedings initiated by the city...but never harassment of this nature.\n\nCould it be one of the three that have agreed to sell? I would guarantee there are provisions in their contracts that stipulate all owners must agreed to sell or the contract in void.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cho708a", "text": " The best defense is a good offense. Why don't you find another developer/investor to partner with and buy out the neighbors instead. Not only do you win, but you may also end up profiting from it instead of just losing money. The developer gets nothing for the work he did but an aching wallet. This developer is not going to stop hassling your mother, so might as well outmaneuver him and take the deal out from under him. \n\nNot only do you know that this land is good enough for a developer to harass you, but if you can screw his deal up with your neighbors, you may be able to buy them out at or below the value this developer is buying at. You are now in control of all the properties, and your allied developer will have to make you an equity partner in order to get the deal done, so you have leverage.\n", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]