You negotiate a credit, document the encumbrance with a fresh survey, and keep the deal moving. That's exactly what happened at 1184 14th Street in Fort Lee, NJ, a two-family corner property with five heirs spread across multiple states, a hidden easement that didn't appear on the original deed, and a stack of permit issues that needed resolution before closing. With 34 years of Bergen County experience and direct relationships at the Fort Lee building department, Scott Selleck resolved each complication without losing the deal.
By Scott Selleck | April 14, 2026
Estate sales in New Jersey are never simple. When you add five heirs living in different states, a property survey that reveals an easement nobody knew existed, and a series of building department certifications that need to be cleared before closing, the transaction can start to feel impossible.
This one wasn't impossible. But it required the kind of hands-on problem-solving that only comes from decades of working the same market.
The Property and the Challenge
1184 14th Street is a two-family corner property in Fort Lee, built in the 1960s. When the original owner passed, the property went to five heirs, each living in a different state. That's the kind of scenario that turns a standard listing into a project management exercise before you even list the home.
The heirs weren't difficult to work with. But getting five people across different time zones to agree on pricing, review offers, sign documents, and navigate a transaction together requires a clear process and a single point of contact who keeps everything organized.
Working through a local Fort Lee estate attorney, we set up a structure that allowed each heir to stay informed and move efficiently without the transaction stalling every time a decision needed to be made. That coordination work happens before anything goes public, and it determines how smoothly the rest of the deal runs.
If you're evaluating agents for a complex Fort Lee sale, this is one of the most important questions to ask: how do you manage a transaction when the decision-making is distributed across multiple parties? The answer tells you a lot about how the process will go. You can learn more about what to look for in the best listing agents in Fort Lee, NJ.
When the Survey Revealed an Easement Nobody Knew About
This is where deals fall apart.
A new survey of the property turned up an easement that didn't appear on the original deed documentation. An easement is a legal right for another party, typically a utility company or a municipality, to use a portion of the property for a specific purpose. The presence of an undisclosed easement is a material fact that has to be resolved before closing.
The buyer's attorney flagged it. The heirs' estate attorney confirmed it. And now we had to figure out what it was worth and how to account for it in the transaction.
The resolution was a negotiated credit. The survey documented the easement's location and scope. Both attorneys worked through a fair number. The buyer got compensated for the encumbrance. The deal stayed intact.
This is not a situation where you want an agent who panics or goes quiet. The moment a surprise title issue surfaces, you need someone who's seen it before, knows who to call, and can help both sides get to a reasonable resolution without the transaction blowing up. Choosing the right realtor in Fort Lee matters most in exactly these moments.
Permits: The Detail That Trips Up More Sales Than You'd Think
Fort Lee has specific requirements that sellers have to meet before closing. A fire prevention certificate, documentation on the hot water tank installation, and chimney certification were all on the list for this property.
Some of this work had been done over the years but not properly closed out with the building department. That's common in older two-family properties. The previous owner makes an improvement, hires someone to do the work, but never follows up on the final inspection. Years later, it shows up as an open permit or a required certification during the sale process.
The Fort Lee building department has a clear process for resolving these issues. Having local relationships there, knowing how the department operates and who handles what, makes the difference between a two-week resolution and a six-week delay. We got everything documented and certified in time to keep the closing on schedule.
If you're planning to sell a Fort Lee property, particularly one that's been in the family for years, it's worth doing a permit audit before you list. Surprises at the building department are avoidable. See how the Fort Lee market is performing if you're weighing timing as part of your decision.
The Outcome
The property closed. All five heirs received fair value. Every certification was in place. The buyer took possession of a property with full documentation, a clean permit record, and a properly disclosed and credited easement.
That's what the goal always is: fair value, legal compliance, and closure. Not just for the sellers, but for the buyer too. A deal that closes cleanly benefits everyone, and it protects the agent's reputation for the next transaction.
The video above walks through each stage of the deal in detail, including the competing offer situation that added another layer of complexity to the process.
"Scott was wonderful through the entire process of selling my dad's home after his passing. This wasn't an easy transaction as there were many family members involved in the sale of the home and things were emotional and stressful at times. However, Scott handled everything that came up with compassion and professionalism. He is very knowledgable about the ins and outs of real estate transactions, especially in the area where our house was sold, in Fort Lee, NJ. It has been a pleasure working with Scott on this and I would highly recommend him for your real estate needs!"
What This Means for You
If you're the executor of an estate with a New Jersey property, or one of multiple heirs trying to figure out how to sell a family home, here's the practical reality:
You need an agent who has closed estate sales before, not just listings. The legal structure is different. The communication requirements are different. The timeline pressures are different. And the likelihood of unexpected issues, title surprises, permit gaps, property condition questions, is higher on properties that haven't been actively managed for years.
The question to ask any agent you're considering isn't just "what will you list it for?" It's "how do you manage a transaction when the sellers are in multiple states and something unexpected comes up mid-deal?"
Experience in that specific situation is what separates a smooth closing from one that falls apart.
Want a free consultation about an estate property in Bergen County or Hudson County? Call 201-970-3960 or visit the complete guide to selling your home in Fort Lee.
About Scott Selleck
Scott Selleck is a Bergen County REALTOR with 34 years of experience and more than 514 closed residential transactions. Based in Fort Lee, NJ with The Selleck Group at KW City Views Realty, Scott specializes in complex transactions including estate sales, multi-family properties, and high-stakes negotiations across Fort Lee, Leonia, Edgewater, Cliffside Park, North Bergen, West New York, and surrounding Northern New Jersey communities. Reach him at 201-970-3960 or at SelleckSellsNJ.com.
