Note of Interest on English property

trippy

We've been interested in a house but weren't in a position to make an offer. So we asked the agent to let us know if any offers were received on the property in the meantime. She told us that it would be an official note of interest and they would then be legally obliged to let us know if they received any offers. I've now found out via the website that the house is no longer for sale, though I don't know if it has been sold or just taken off the market. My question is, should the agent have told us if it's the latter (assuming the answer is yes for the former).

Thanks.

Running_Horse

I've never heard of this in England. My opinion is it would be none of your business what I did with my property. Maybe they do things differently in Scotland.

princeofpounds

Never heard of such a thing. Maybe they are confusing it with a charge on the property. Or maybe they just made it up

trippy

Running_Horse wrote: »

My opinion is it would be none of your business what I did with my property.

Surely it would be my business if you were selling your house and I wanted to buy it?

trippy

princeofpounds wrote: »

Or maybe they just made it up

It was Fine & Country so I'd expect them to know their stuff. I'll ring them tomorrow anyway. I'm imagining the house has been taken off the market as it was overpriced and the vendors wanted the asking price. But I would have thought the agent would have let us know as they knew we were interested and waiting to be in a position to offer.

kitschkitty

Surely if the house is off the market it's irrelevant anyway???

jackieb

That's how it works here in Scotland. I've put notes of interest on a few properties, and if there's more than one note of interest then the sellers can choose to put a closing date on - and all bids have to be in by that date. But that's not to say that the other interested parties have to put a bid in. My son put a note of interest on a house where there was one other interested party - the house went to a closing date, and the other people didn't even put an offer in.

Never heard of it happening in England.

G_M

trippy wrote: »

Surely it would be my business if you were selling your house and I wanted to buy it?

Why? It's not your house. What the owner does with his house may be of interest to you, but you have no rights in the matter. The owner can do as he wishes. The only people he is obliged to inform are banks or similar who have a charge on the property, or HMRC if Capital Gains or other tax is due.

He does not have to inform sundry members of the public!

Running_Horse

trippy wrote: »

Surely it would be my business if you were selling your house and I wanted to buy it?

No, still none of your business what I do with my property. If you want to buy it put in an offer and I will consider it. If you delay and miss out, too bad.

trippy

I'm not saying the vendor has to tell me anything! It was the agent who told me that they, as agents, had to legally inform us of any offers if we had put a note of interest on the file (assumed it was some kind of estate agent protocol). I just wondered if this extended to the house being taken off the market.

p00hsticks

trippy wrote: »

Surely it would be my business if you were selling your house and I wanted to buy it?

If you'd seriously wanted to buy it and were in a position to proceed, then you would have made an offer on it anyway though, wouldn't you ? As you didn't, then I don't see any reason why the seller would feel the need to keep you informed of anything...