I would have to have more details on this to answer this exactly.  I don't know who you are referring to when you say the "owner".  The home owner occupant, or the bank.  I also do not know what you mean by "signing off".  Did the home owner accept an offer on the property and then refuse to close on it?  If there was no accepted offer then it sounds like maybe the amount of money offered on the home did not get approved by the bank that has the mortgage on the property.  Short sales do always guarantee a for sure sale. Most banks will only go so low on the amount for a short sale, and if they don't get that amount they will refuse it.  If the owner accepted an offer he may have found out later that the bank will not take the amount agreed upon. You must make sure the bank is going to take the offer before you proceed with the closing. Even if the bank holding the mortgage does agree to a certain sale amount they oftan change that amount later and then the transaction cannot proceed. The owner may be refusing to sign off because he does not want to move.  If a home owner who is going to lose their home in foreclose has their attorney file a bankruptcy on the morning of the sherrifs' sale  that will stop the foreclosure for up to a year.  They can also ask for the original deed with the legal description on it and if they can't get that it also stops the foreclosure process.  Most of the time the loan has been sold several times and it cannot be located.  I hope this helps you, but without all of the details I cannot answer this specifically.