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Advice please: buying prop, seller pulled out, then put back on market 4 weeks later

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Emanef
Emanef Posts: 165 Forumite
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in House buying, renting & selling
Hi guys

Just after some advice please.

We had an offer on a property accepted back in September last year. We had paid for the surveys and local authority searches, but due to the top of the chain causing issues it dragged out. We were close to exchanging in December, but then it was delayed further. The people we were buying from found another property so it was all back on. However, four weeks ago we had a call from the estate agent to say they were really sorry but the sellers had decided to take it off the market.

All very annoying, seeing as we had paid for the searches, surveys and also our mortgage offer had expired, which meant we lost the fee we had paid for it. In total it was around £3000 we lost.

I've just had a call from the estate agent to let me know that it's back on the market with another estate agent..... for £75 grand more than they had accepted back in September.

I'm furious. Not only did we lose that money, but we slowed down searching because we thought we had it agreed, and the sellers never indicated that they were going to pull out (we actually bumped into them a week before they pulled out and they were really friendly, said they'd been chasing to get it through, etc).

I know there's little we can do, but is there anything?

Aren't there rules about how long they have to wait to put it back on the market if it's previously been marketed and later withdrawn?

Are we able to take them to a small claims court to recover the money we have lost?

Thanks
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  • dlmcr
    dlmcr Posts: 182 Forumite
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    Nope.

    Welcome to the uk property market. Broken on so many levels.
  • anselld
    anselld Posts: 8,283 Forumite
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    No, absolutely nothing you can do.
    Even if they would re-accept your offer (unlikely) it would be futile as they are probably just timewasters not motivated to sell.
  • DaftyDuck
    DaftyDuck Posts: 4,609 Forumite
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    There is nothing you can do on either count.
  • Emanef
    Emanef Posts: 165 Forumite
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    dlmcr wrote: »
    Nope.

    Welcome to the uk property market. Broken on so many levels.

    It really does suck!

    Thanks for the quick replies to clarify. We know they were eager to move so hopefully they'll get stuck in a very long chain and still be there in two years time....! :mad:
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    Maybe somebody (?) - Not you, will put in an offer that the seller will accept, with of course no intention of proceeding.

    I'm not suggesting that you deliberately waste their time of course
  • sparky130a
    sparky130a Posts: 660 Forumite
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    Emanef wrote: »
    We know they were eager to move so hopefully they'll get stuck in a very long chain and still be there in two years time....! :mad:

    Well clearly not. How did you "know" this?
  • AFF8879
    AFF8879 Posts: 651 Forumite
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    With the mortgage fee - most lenders would extend the offer period if the deal collapsed through no fault of your own, or at least let you re-apply for a new product and waive the fee - have you contacted them? I'd be extremely surprised if they just flat out refused to help you.
  • Cakeguts
    Cakeguts Posts: 7,627 Forumite
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    It sounds as if they don't really want to sell it and have been forced to put it on the market for some reason. They withdrew when it looked as if they really would sell and then put it back on the market at a price where they know no one will be interested and so they won't actually ever sell it.
  • walwyn1978
    walwyn1978 Posts: 837 Forumite
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    Cakeguts wrote: »
    It sounds as if they don't really want to sell it and have been forced to put it on the market for some reason. They withdrew when it looked as if they really would sell and then put it back on the market at a price where they know no one will be interested and so they won't actually ever sell it.

    That. We looked at a house once and offered full asking, which was turned down. The property then came off the market and went back on at a higher figure, then off again, then on again with a 3rd agent subsequently. Over the year or so it was on our radar the asking went up by 60k.

    We found out later through a chance conversation with the first EA that the property belonged to a divorced couple. She was living in the house, he wasn't, she didn't want to leave....


    Obviously this may not be exactly the same as your situation, but regardless it leaves you at the wrong end of it all. Chalk it up to experience, sadly. Good luck with your house looking.
  • hazyjo
    hazyjo Posts: 15,470 Forumite
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    They could in fact have done it while you were buying it, not even after. I have had people do it to me. Survey done, going along okay, and BAM they decide they want another ten grand (despite their house having been on with at least three agents for a few months before we came along).

    I told them where to go and had to start again (even lost the next house as they decided to take it off the market - after our survey again. VERY annoying).

    Jx
    2023 wins: *must start comping again!*
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