What to do if the buyer shows up late on closing day

Late is one thing, but after noon is a different story. I'd have your attorney send a formal notice that you're ready, willing, and able to close, and that any delay is at their expense. That paper trail matters if they try to renegotiate.

First deal?

I wouldn't let them push it without a written amendment signed by both sides. Once you agree to a new time informally, you lose leverage if they show up even later or not at all. Also check your purchase agreement for a time-is-of-the-essence clause. If it's there, you have more room to act

We wait ed four hours on our last sale. Turned out the buyer's wire hadn't cleared. Nothing we could do except sit there. Cost us a day of lost work but the deal closed. Sometimes it's just bank nonsense.

Charge them for your time? No. Unless your contract has a specific late fee provision, which almost none do. Your remedy is to declare them in breach if they don't close by the deadline, not to invoice them for sitting around.

Agree with RedDog. Get everything in writing. A phone call saying "we'll be there at 1" means nothing if they show up at 4 and want to change terms.

This happened to us. Buyer was six hours late. Our attorney told us to stay put and not say anything that could be read as waiving the closing date. We closed at 6pm. Annoying but done.

Important question: is the buyer's delay causing you actual damages? If you're paying extra attorney fees or losing a rental income day, document it. You might not recover it, but it strengthens your position if they later ask for credits.

No financing contingency doesn't mean no wire issues. Cash buyers still have to move money from somewhere. I'd ask your attorney to confirm the buyer's funds are actually sitting in escrow or in a verified account. If not, don't assume they're just running late.

OP, what does your purchase agreement say about the closing time? Is it a hard deadline or just a target? That changes everything.

One more thing. If they show up late and then try to negotiate anything, even something small, that's a red flag. A cash buyer who can't show up on time and suddenly wants a credit is not a cash buyer you want to trust.

MadisonAveMike makes a good point about damages. But realistically, unless the delay is days, not hours, you're not going to recover anything. The cost of pursuing it would exceed whatever you'd get.

Any update on this? Curious how it played out.