Aborted sale - any recompense for legal fee's?

mickeyfinn1

We agreed a sale of our house to a couple who wre 90% cash buyers and their friend was coming in with a 10% mortgage.

Everything was going fine until a week or so ago when their solicitor called ours to say that they were not proceeding any further and refused to give a reason. Contracts had not been signed but were due to be signed 5 days from when they pulled out.

We have now had a bill from our solicitor for £550 in respect of all the work he did for this aborted sale. It really winds me up that these people have got so far down the line, pulled out without giving any reason and now we have this massive bill to pay.

Is there any way I can pursue them to get some of this back?

We have sold the house again and am dreading the same thing happening.

Pee

No. Until contracts are exchnaged, noone is bound. The costs of the next sale will probably be a bit less as the work won't need to be duplicated.

mickeyfinn1

The majority of the fee's are for sending documents and answering questions on the phone to their solicitor so I am terrified that we could get the same bill again.

This English system sucks!

I wish I could get them to pay up after all, they messed us around for 6 weeks.

dfh

If it is any consolation,they will have to pay their solicitor for all the work done on their aborted purchase.Plus they have already lost money on surverys and valuations.

mickeyfinn1

It seems so unfair, I am glad they will have to pay their side but if they have £225k in the bank I am sure a £550 bill to them is nothing but to us it's loads. I feel like taking them on Judge Judy!!

dottiepeas

They will no doubt have also had to pay for the survey and their aborted fees!

I know how you feel (but the reverse!), as we were in the middle of a house purchase aswell- except the sellers decided to increase the price of the house (5 wks after agreeing the original price!) and now we could not proceed! As it was £17k more!! I like you, was thinking of getting the sellers to pay for the money we spent on the survey!! But decided it wasn't worth the hassle, and had no legal leg to stand on anyway.

Unfortunately these things seem to happen!...the current buying system really does need some firmer rules!!! (I think anyway!!)

G_M

Negotiate a no sale no fee deal with your solicitors next time. You'll still have to pay their disbursements' (expenses on things they have to pay out) but not their basic fee and time-based costs.

picardygirl

G_M wrote: »

Negotiate a no sale no fee deal with your solicitors next time. You'll still have to pay their disbursements' (expenses on things they have to pay out) but not their basic fee and time-based costs.

Thats what we did and so glad we did, our buyers pulled out after 16 weeks, on day of exchange, chain collapsed, we lost survey and search fees but didnt have to pay any solicitors fees.

The house buyer system in England definitely needs changing ...... but until/if ever it does, unfortunately lots of people must lose money day in day out !