You are waiting on the seller to perform, so the deal stalling usually does not put you out of contract, and you have several ways to force the issue. Your options: - Send a formal notice to perform. - Pay the balance yourself to keep things moving, if the number makes sense. - Issue a demand to close. - Cancel with proper notice, which in California is generally 48 hours unless your contract says otherwise. Ideally a lien or payoff like this gets identified as an encumbrance to clear at closing when the contract is first written, so it never becomes a standstill. One caution on solar specifically: these systems are frequently marked up two to three times depending on how the original deal was sold. If the payoff figure is much larger than you expected, get the full loan or lease details before you agree to anything. Pin down exactly what is owed, who is obligated to pay it, and whether the panels are owned, financed, or leased, because that changes both the payoff and what transfers to you.