Disgraceful!!

ScooMagoo

41 Pevensey Way, GU16 (http://www.vebra.com/cgi-win/vebra.cgi?details1?src=agent&PropertyCode=1082002/PEVEN/28894/2) the house we put an offer on 3 months ago is back on the market just two weeks after the vendor pulled out 4 days from exchange.

We wasted thousands on survey's and solicitors fees; and it transpires the vendor did exactly the same less than a year before.

When is there going to be a system in place to protect buyers from unscrupulous vendors who behave in such an appauling way?

:question:

Mexas

First thing would be to contact the agent to tell them about your experience, assuming its not the same agent as last time.

The vendor is probably listing their property on the market to dodge a collection agent from forcing him to sell. By putting his property up for sale, the debt collectors effectivly left him alone in the knowledge that when the property sold the debt would be satisfied.

Similar thread on here last week - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2596071

ScooMagoo

If only there actually was an excuse...
It's with the same agents because they scrapped their fees in order to try an encourage the vendor to sell to us; and the seller is mortgage free with no onward chain!

clutton_2

maybe s/he is trying to stop their ex partner from getting a share of the sale....

Jowo_2

Download the ownership details from the land registry website (£4) and see if there's a charge on it.

ScooMagoo

Jowo can you please expand on that?

Bananamana

he means download a copy of the title deed from LR- should be with the docs your solicitor has - to see who has a charge/loan secured over it.

Personally, just leave it as it won't bring you any piece of mind

Hailstorm

Last year I had a vendor pull out. The circumstances looked as if they had some sort of alterior motive.

I received my mortgage offer on a Friday, they pulled out the following Monday. This was 6 weeks after my offer was accepted and in that time my solicitor still had not received a draft contract from the vendor's solicitor.

It left me wondering if the vendor's were not intending to sell and were hoping there would be a problem with my mortgage application, survey or valuation (no problems with any of them) that they could use as an excuse for things falling apart. Their solicitors being very slow also seemed suspicious. I can't help but wonder if they instructed them not to do anything.

Jowo_2

Well, as far as I know, a creditor can put a charge on someone's house (meaning they have to be paid when it sells) and this charging order should show up on the land registry website (England/Wales) where anyone can download the ownership details for £4. Perhaps if you pay for this report it could show you if there are any creditors chasing the owner, though I don't believe creditors can force a sale anyhow.

Perhaps another poster can confirm if this is the case?

But to be honest, this would have shown up on a basic search by your solicitor.

http://www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk/debt_factsheets/charging_orders_in_the_county_court.php

So perhaps the owner is just simply a time-waster, likes the thrill of having power over buyers and winding them up, or is simply a big ditherer.

pimento

This happened to us in 2001. Turns out the woman had done it twice before. I feel your pain.

In actual fact, we found a better house so it was all for the best in the end.

sonastin

I had an offer accepted on a house and then my buyer pulled out. When I had a new buyer, I went back and offered again on the same house, but lower because the valuation had come back lower (I offered to go 50/50 between the original price and the valuation). The new offer was rejected so I re-offered the original amount. The vendor decided that she actually wanted to move back into the house after all and took it off the market. Today (6 weeks later) the EA called to tell me that she has decided she doesn't want to live in the area after all and the house is back on the market. Oh, but she still isn't prepared to negotiate on price and is only prepared to accept the original agreed amount, if I'm still interested in paying over the odds for it.

As I have no invested money into the purchase of a better property, I don't think I'll be going back there. Even if this purchase falls through too, I don't see me agreeing to pay 10% over the valuation to an indecisive vendor who might just change her mind yet again...

I agree, we need a system that protects buyers and sellers from the fickleness of others when such significant sums of money are involved...