Gazumped! What are my rights????

Angelboots

Hi guys,

Today i have had some bad news and need further advice.

We were three weeks from completing on a property and were considered as our solicitors have not been able to make further contact with the vendors solicitors for a week.

As the estate agents could'nt make contact with the vendor either, today they went to the vendors home and guess what?! They have sold the house to other people and the other people have been living in the property for a week! and they opened the door to the estate agents.

My sister and i are devastated! some much time hard work, re mortaging to get a depoisut, solictiors fee valuation fees, survey fees and they do this..
I can't believe this could happen, how could the vendor be so dishonest .

Apparently the vendor already had a sale going through the time they put it on the market with our estate agents, they wanted to see which one would go through quicker.

Im also annoyed that the vendors solicitors were also involved in this, they must have been communicating with two buyers solicitors at the same time and didnt say anything.

I feel so deflated, do we have any rights? at least of we can get the money we've lost on surverys and solicitors fees back, that would be some consilation.

Thanks

merlinthehappypig

I suspect that you won't like the answers you will get as, assuming this was in England, you have no comeback at all. It's horrible for you and I sympathise entirely, but the house buying system is very poor and this happens all the time. Hopefully you will find another house even better and one day this will just be a memory, but you have no option but to accept it and move on. Good luck finding somewhere else.

Nicki

chriseast wrote: »

I suspect that you won't like the answers you will get as, assuming this was in England, you have no comeback at all. It's horrible for you and I sympathise entirely, but the house buying system is very poor and this happens all the time. Hopefully you will find another house even better and one day this will just be a memory, but you have no option but to accept it and move on. Good luck finding somewhere else.

This isn't correct. If you were in the process of buying this house, then you had a legal right to know if you were in a contract race. Sellers are not allowed to send any documentation relating to the sale of a house out to two potential purchasers simultaneously without letting both purchasers know that they are in a race. You should ask your solicitors to pursue this, but should be able to recover your wasted costs.

Sorry about what has happened - how rotten for you. Hope you find a much better house soon!

Guapa1

Nothing to add that would help, but I'm so sorry that happened to you. x

seven-day-weekend

I do feel for you. Hope you get some costs back.

merlinthehappypig

Nicki wrote: »

This isn't correct. If you were in the process of buying this house, then you had a legal right to know if you were in a contract race. Sellers are not allowed to send any documentation relating to the sale of a house out to two potential purchasers simultaneously without letting both purchasers know that they are in a race. You should ask your solicitors to pursue this, but should be able to recover your wasted costs.

Sorry about what has happened - how rotten for you. Hope you find a much better house soon!

Apologies for the wrong info if this is the case. I've never come across a situation before where an English buyer has any legal rights having been gazumped. Good luck in getting your costs back.

WTF?_2

Angelboots wrote: »

Hi guys,

I feel so deflated, do we have any rights? at least of we can get the money we've lost on surverys and solicitors fees back, that would be some consilation.

Thanks

I don't think you can get any money back but if the market turns downward you may well come to think of this as a lucky escape.

pinkkaz

I know someone who actually did this to somebody - accepted 2 offers and just stood back to see who would get everthing done quickest. Didn't even reimburse the costs of the people who didn't get the house.

I thought he was a nice bloke, but since I've found out that about him, he has totally lowered in my estimation. How can you do that to someone? Sorry to hear about it. We've just bought somewhere and were on tenterhooks til the last day. I don't think there's anything you can do. You could ask the vendor to reimburse your costs, but if s/he is such a scumbag to do that to you, I wouldn't hold your breath!

SquatNow

!!!!!!? wrote: »

I don't think you can get any money back but if the market turns downward you may well come to think of this as a lucky escape.

Yup you dodged a bullet.

Go back to the house in 12 months time and offer the overstretched buyer 30% below what you were going to pay this time... bet they take it. :rotfl:

regularsaver1

I can't believe the vendors did this, and also their solicitors, unless they used different ones?

david29dpo

As said, a contract race is illegal without both parties knowing. This has happened to me but i got there first but the other party got there costs back from the seller. see your solicitor NOW