Meet Mr. Much Ado's cousin Mr. I'll Insure Over Anything Because I'm An Idiot

Yes, it's the lovely Laurel Highlands again, the water coolers of certain law offices must brimming with wacko Kool-Aid.

We have a local tax collector who flew the coop over some domestic issue - can't be found - can't get tax certificates. [It's rural country title insurance routine crapolla.] The last time this happened it took a year before the authorities had to step in an take over. In that time, checks were lost, unaccounted for and tax claim finally had to eat mucho bucks. We had to mail all tax payments via certified mail just to have evidence that we sent something to that house and so here we go again into LaLaLand - rural tax collector running from the bruiser-style.

Transaction supposed to close today. We set up escrow pending evidence of payment of current year taxes - tax certificate or tax receipts.

Mr. I'll Insure Over Anything BIAI refuses to close with an escrow. He wants me to accept his letter with his personal guaranty - I have dealt with this law firm before and I wouldn't lend them a dime. - or he won't close.

I offer to take his letter if the seller can substantiate in any way that he paid the taxes - cancelled checks, etc. Seller has no cancelled checks so Mr. I'll Insure Over Anything BIAI earns his name by saying "I'll insure it if you won't!"

I respond by saying I'll postpone closing.

The real shame is that IF the buyer and the lender decide they want to move the transaction to a crappy title provider and I call the crappy title provider's underwriter to protest, they won't give a damn either.

We are living in "Crappyland" and I'm not going to fret anymore about it this morning. Chips fall......