We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Forum now has a brand new text editor, adding a bunch of handy features to use when creating posts. Read more in our how-to guide

Buyer pulled out right before exchange!

I had my buyer pull out only days before we were due to exchange. They did not offer a reason for this - simply a couple who got cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing at fault with the property and they had strung us along for over three months - even phoning personally to say they were so keen etc etc.

Anyway - a couple of months later and thankfully we now have a new buyer. My solicitor is now working on the new sale, but is charging £175.00 + VAT for work undertaken on the sale which fell through. Do I have any chance of reclaiming any of this from the buyers who pulled out?

Many thanks for any help.
«1

Comments

  • Annisele
    Annisele Posts: 4,835 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Sorry, no. Up until exchange, both parties are responsible for their own costs, and either can walk away.
  • go_cat
    go_cat Posts: 2,509 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    No as above . Fingers crossed for this sale
  • Thanks for the replies - it was what I was expecting! Some people lose much more so I can't complain - just think it's criminal that people can get away with messing you around and costing you money when the fault lies entirely with them!
  • phill99
    phill99 Posts: 9,092 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    There are 2 hopes here. And one of them is Bob.
    Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide.
  • andy.m_2
    andy.m_2 Posts: 1,521 Forumite
    Phill do you have that post stored anywhere to save you time? ;)
    Sealed pot challange no: 339
  • andy.m_2
    andy.m_2 Posts: 1,521 Forumite
    To the OP it does seem almost criminal that this can happen but honestly what are the alternatives?
    A non refundable deposit? legally binding to a sale with so much uncertainty such as searches, surveys etc?

    House buying and selling is a minefield and people want their sheckle along the way so its a tough one.

    We are signing contracts on Wednesday so am well aware of the nervousness of the matter!

    Good luck to all sellers out there
    Sealed pot challange no: 339
  • ruggedtoast
    ruggedtoast Posts: 9,819 Forumite
    Yeah, I think we've got that now.
  • sims01
    sims01 Posts: 68 Forumite
    andy.m wrote: »
    To the OP it does seem almost criminal that this can happen but honestly what are the alternatives?
    A non refundable deposit? legally binding to a sale with so much uncertainty such as searches, surveys etc?
    Seems to work fine in most other countries in the world. How it is usually done is that a binding contract is set up at a much earlier stage, but the contract contains a clause specifying under which circumstances each side may withdraw (e.g. finance falling through, significant unknown issues discovered during survey etc.). But there is no option of withdrawing for no reason without becoming legally liable for some things.
  • andy.m_2
    andy.m_2 Posts: 1,521 Forumite
    ...

    Goog points, well made
    Sealed pot challange no: 339
  • steve1980
    steve1980 Posts: 2,334 Forumite
    What exactly is he charging for? Most solicitors do a "no sale, no fee" system.
    Estate Agent, Web Designer & All Round Geek!
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 354.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 254.4K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 455.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 247.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 604.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 178.4K Life & Family
  • 261.6K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.