Buyer drops out and lies about reason.

Marco121068

So here's the story.

Accepted an offer in late November - buyer had agreed sale and agreed with our timescales and wanted a quick exchange.

Everything seemed to be going through - but then in early February I call the buyer asking when he thinks we may exchange (their conveyancing was through Countrywide - enough said!). He tells me his buyer will probably pull out and he is gutted - so he says it'll probably fall through - but to speak to him again in a week once they've spoken to their buyer.

Now I have found out that their sale didn't fall through at all, but that another house came onto the market (with their same agent) a week before he told me the story above and surprise surprise they have now completed on it and moved in. Also turns out he instructed his conveyancer to return the paperwork 2 weeks before our last conversation.

Their agent (who's part of the same group as ours and starts with Man and ends in Co) :rotfl: was very cagey with our agent and even now won't share any information on why it fell through.

Result is I HAVE A HEFTY SOLICITORS BILL. :mad: and lost 2 weeks marketing time.

OK - sorry it's taken so long to get to the point
Is there any way I can recover my costs from the 'buyer' as he blatantly lied?

CTID_2

did he put a deposit down?

Marco121068

Nope. Didn't get to exchange before they jumped.

dander

Sorry, no. A buyer or seller can pull out for absolutely any reason they want up until exchange.

david29dpo

sorry, there is nothing you can do, legally anyway! ( hint )

mystic_trev

There are more lies told in the buying and selling of houses than almost anything else. Normal decent people can suddenly turn into habitual liars.

misfire

our buyer pulled out on day of exchange - told his mortgage had fallen through prior to this we were told he was a cash buyer (we never met him our EA did vieiwngs) ...
...

our EA then Bought our house 4 grand less than original sale price.


House buying is full of lying and decietful people who will stab you in the back as soon as look at you - but while the law allows this they will do it.

I know how infuriating this is - hope all goes well from now on

td

I'm really sorry you've had to go through this - buying and selling houses is such a minefield and there seems no way around any of it. You can't even learn from your mistakes because generally it's not your mistake. I generally try not to trust anyone too much and have got in my ea's face all the time - still didn't stop them telling me lies though.

td x

Gorgeous_George

It's disappointing when these things happen but you need to look at it from their POV. Another house came on the market and they chose to pull out (personally, iI wouldn't do this if I'd shook hands on the deal). They were probably out of pocket too.

I don't suppose a claim in the small claims court would do any good but might make you feel better. It doesn't cost much to buy an old banger, paint in by brush and park outside his house (about £250 for a year).

Nenen

Gorgeous_George wrote:

I don't suppose a claim in the small claims court would do any good but might make you feel better. It doesn't cost much to buy an old banger, paint in by brush and park outside his house (about £250 for a year).

:rotfl:
What wonderful but totally legal revenge! :T I wish I'd thought of that for the last two people who let us down and lied to us several times when trying to buy their house... their piece de résistance was waiting until two hours after our surveryor went in to tell us they had decided not to move after all!

moonrakerz

I lived in Scotland for some years and their legal system on house buying and selling is a million times better that the stupid system in England and Wales.

PS: I'm English !