I'm now being sued by the purchaser

societys_child

It was fine, the purchaser messed with it . . . he broke it.

paddedjohn

£4500 for a boiler? What planet is this house on.
OP as others have already said just ignore them, they are trying it on.

pinkteapot

Agree with G_M to a point...

*If* it then goes to court, even if the other side doesn't get a solicitor, I personally WOULD get advice from a solicitor myself. There was a thread on here a while back where someone 'self-defended' using advice from this forum and lost their case (I think it was a motoring issue - when a buyer wanted a refund on a second-hand car). There are a lot of armchair lawyers on here.

Agree completely that this is a try-on letter and nothing much to worry about. But, if it enters the legal system, it'll be worth spending a couple of hundred quid on some proper legal advice, just to make sure you word your defence properly (in legal terms), etc. Even in what looks like an obvious case, like this. If you've got legal cover with your home insurance, you may even be able to get that advice for free.

ikcdab

paddedjohn wrote: »

£4500 for a boiler? What planet is this house on.
OP as others have already said just ignore them, they are trying it on.

It's £2k for the hearing. Approx £500 for additional electricity to heat the house. A sum to buy electric heaters and £1500 for pain and discomfort....

thesaint

I have only skim read, but to the amateur(I know nothing of house purchases) it appears that you said that the heating is working, but acknowledged to the purchaser that it wasn't, and didn't get it fixed before you sold it.

societys_child

thesaint wrote: »

I have only skim read, but to the amateur(I know nothing of house purchases) it appears that you said that the heating is working, but acknowledged to the purchaser that it wasn't, and didn't get it fixed before you sold it.

No, it was working but there was a time lag between signing the form and eventual sale. The boiler wasn't checked immediately before completion, but I didn't see any admission that the boiler didn't work.

Mojisola

ikcdab wrote: »

We agreed to give the purchaser access to the property under a key agreement after exchange to do some work and we were later surprised to be told by the purchaser that the heating was now not working.

I immediately checked this and agreed - it was now not working. I suggested i would get my plumber to fix it, but the purchaser declined this offer and asked for a reduction in the purchase price, which we declined.

thesaint wrote: »

I have only skim read, but to the amateur(I know nothing of house purchases) it appears that you said that the heating is working, but acknowledged to the purchaser that it wasn't, and didn't get it fixed before you sold it.

The heating only stopped working after the purchaser did some work in the house (could they be responsible for the boiler not working?).

The vendor offered to have the heating fixed.

The purchaser refused and went ahead, knowing the heating wasn't working.

I can't see why they think they can make the vendor pay up now.

paddy's_mum

ikcdab wrote: »

It's £2k for the hearing. Approx £500 for additional electricity to heat the house. A sum to buy electric heaters and £1500 for pain and discomfort....

They'd better prepare for a lot more financial pain and discomfort of the humiliation kind when your/their solicitor laughs hysterically and the judge hurls this out of court!

fierystormcloud

paddy's_mum wrote: »

They'd better prepare for a lot more financial pain and discomfort of the humiliation kind when your/their solicitor laughs hysterically and the judge hurls this out of court!

This. ^^^

Mojisola wrote: »

The heating only stopped working after the purchaser did some work in the house (could they be responsible for the boiler not working?).

The vendor offered to have the heating fixed.

The purchaser refused and went ahead, knowing the heating wasn't working.

I can't see why they think they can make the vendor pay up now.

I agree.

ikcdab wrote: »

It's £2k for the hearing. Approx £500 for additional electricity to heat the house. A sum to buy electric heaters and £1500 for pain and discomfort....

They're having a laff. Tell 'em to do one! :cool:

k3lvc

See below from opposite perspective - buyer beware and they'll be lucky to find a solicitor that'll take it on


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5495962