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May wedding, covid and Venue (privately) for sale

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Hi everyone
As you can imagine from the title I'm having a panic and have come here for some advice/sense/comfort - who knows.
We are set to get married at the end of May. Haha.
We took out wedding insurance, and have since found out our venue is up for sale. 
Of course now our wedding might not happen in the way we originally planned, signed, and paid for given the virus.
We've had minimal updates from our venue - only when we've called/turned up/emailed and asked the questions. Nothing proactive from them at all since booking a year ago.
We don't know what they think they can provide at the end of May - potentially still no food (as restaurants are shut down), no accommodation (as government asks hotels to only remain open for emergency/key workers and the homeless) and potentially by then, still no gathering (rightly so). Of course, the latest Government announcement only extends the lockdown period to the 7th May so this is not a clear cut reason to involve the insurance at present. And of course no one knows what will then happen regarding lockdown or social distancing (including restrictions on large gatherings and the elderly/vulnerable) or business operations.
The only option we've been given so far is to postpone to a date later than October (on advice of the wedding registrar). However our venue is still privately up for sale - despite the venue claiming it isn't. I have emails from the selling agent giving the details.
Are there any grounds here at present to state a frustrated contract and request a refund? Our final balance technically is due a month before the date (end April), when we will still be in lockdown. Our signed contract contains no Force Majeure clause.
Appreciate no-one has a crystal ball, I've simply lost a lot of trust for our venue so have come here for any kind words or advice that can be offered.
Thank you.

Comments

  • Aylesbury_Duck
    Aylesbury_Duck Posts: 15,696 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I don't see how the venue being up for sale has a bearing on anything.  Presumably the new owner would be buying a going concern and even if they don't intend to continue to use it as a venue, it may take many months for the sale to complete which may mean there is no impact on your wedding at all.

    I think it prudent to postpone until October for obvious reasons, but the venue being up for sale isn't one of them, nor is it a valid reason to break your contract on the grounds that it's frustrated.
  • The grounds for a frustrated contract would be that the wedding will not happen as contractually agreed on the agreed date, not that it is for sale.
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 22,538 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    At the moment you assume the wedding cannot take place. You will have to wait until restrictions  cover the planned date of your wedding, or the venue advise you they need to cancel,  as it is not frustrated until then
     
  • Aylesbury_Duck
    Aylesbury_Duck Posts: 15,696 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Sorry, I'd assumed the sale was relevant to you because you mentioned it in the context of not wanting to reschedule.

    Once they confirm they cannot accommodate your original booking you can ask for a full refund. 
  • JReacher1
    JReacher1 Posts: 4,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    It’s difficult to know what will happen in a month. I would suggest you discuss delaying the final payment until they can confirm that they can fulfil the event. 

    One thing when you say “turned up” in your OP. You shouldn’t really be going round to the venue at the moment as it’s not essential travel. 
  • JReacher1 said:
    It’s difficult to know what will happen in a month. I would suggest you discuss delaying the final payment until they can confirm that they can fulfil the event. 

    One thing when you say “turned up” in your OP. You shouldn’t really be going round to the venue at the moment as it’s not essential travel. 
    'Turned up' as in since booking it last year, of course we've not been out since Covid-19.
  • Undervalued
    Undervalued Posts: 9,584 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 18 April 2020 at 8:12AM
    JReacher1 said:
    It’s difficult to know what will happen in a month. I would suggest you discuss delaying the final payment until they can confirm that they can fulfil the event. 

    One thing when you say “turned up” in your OP. You shouldn’t really be going round to the venue at the moment as it’s not essential travel. 
    I would be very careful doing that. Much as I sympathise with the difficult position the OP is in, as others have said, nothing at the moment legally prevents the wedding going ahead. OK, we all suspect it is unlikely but if the OP breaches their contract in any way, they could be the ones deemed to be cancelling and exposing themselves to significant cancellation charges.

    If you do opt to make the final payment, do so by credit card in order to get S 75 protection on the whole amount you have paid. If you have already paid at least £100 by credit card then technically you are covered anyway. If the venue were to go bust or failed to meet their legal obligations the card company is then jointly liable.

  • Dreamsandthings
    Dreamsandthings Posts: 5 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post
    edited 18 April 2020 at 2:29PM
    Thank you @Undervalued - We have paid a chunk of the money so far via credit card and the next chunk will definitely be paid the same way. We just need to continue the game of chicken.

    Since posting, we've had a message from the venue 'advising us to postpone to ensure we are not affected by the current situation'.

    They refuse to say what might be affected if we do not postpone so we will ask what they are offering/advising current weddings booked to take place during lockdown. They've also avoided answering what parts of the full wedding package are likely to take place on the contracted date. So they will be expecting full payment for the full package during lockdown and we will play that game merrily.

    Thanks for the helpful response.
  • JReacher1 said:
    It’s difficult to know what will happen in a month. I would suggest you discuss delaying the final payment until they can confirm that they can fulfil the event. 

    One thing when you say “turned up” in your OP. You shouldn’t really be going round to the venue at the moment as it’s not essential travel. 
    I would be very careful doing that. Much as I sympathise with the difficult position the OP is in, as others have said, nothing at the moment legally prevents the wedding going ahead. OK, we all suspect it is unlikely but if the OP breaches their contract in any way, they could be the ones deemed to be cancelling and exposing themselves to significant cancellation charges.

    If you do opt to make the final payment, do so by credit card in order to get S 75 protection on the whole amount you have paid. If you have already paid at least £100 by credit card then technically you are covered anyway. If the venue were to go bust or failed to meet their legal obligations the card company is then jointly liable.

    even a £1 paid by CC will get you S75 as long as the total bill is between £100 and £30,000
  • Thank you. We've been told by a (now furloughed) supplier that they have been owed money by the venue for considerable months and the venue has written to them to say they cannot pay the debt. So it's all going swimmingly.
    Interesting that furlough is extended to end June and yet all these venues think weddings can still go ahead.
    Anyway, keep safe and well all.
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