New owners locked out of new home after seller refuses to leave

A couple says they have not been able to move into the home they bought over a year ago, due to the seller refusing to leave.

Tracie and Myles Albert purchased their California home 14 months ago and have since been making mortgage payments.

However, the couple is yet to move into their four-bedroom home.

According to Inside Edition, the seller has remained at the home, barricading himself inside and citing the state's freeze on evictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The eviction freeze was to ensure struggling families have a place to live during the pandemic, but realtor Chris Taylor said he had never seen anything like the seller's behaviour in his nearly 20-year career.

"He just said he wasn't leaving, that was it. Wasn't going to leave the house, barricaded himself in the house," Mr Albert said.

The couple purchased the home in January last year for $650,000 ($A853,140) and poured their entire life savings into the purchase, CBSLA reported.

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Mr Albert claims the seller has committed fraud and their next court date has been postponed until June.

“It took us scrambling to get everything we had, our life savings put together and a hard money loan on top of it to make that happen," Mr Albert said according to Fox Business.

“We own the house outright. That’s our house and it’s all in a contract, written, legal, done.”

Ms Albert admitted to Fox Business the ordeal has been "draining, emotionally and financially".

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