Wondering if this is suspicious, re buyer?

Hoenir

With a cash buyer the transaction should proceed swiftly. Keep the pressure on. Any delays. Remarket the property. 

lesley2020

user1977 said:

lesley2020 said:

user1977 said:

Surely the criminal proceeds would then be the property bought by the criminal? I've never heard of proceeds of crime being traced to whoever sold property to the criminal. I think that (the former) has occasionally happened with real estate, you'll probably have seen the police showing off e.g. flash cars recovered from drug dealers - they don't try to recover the cash from whoever sold them the cars.

Anyway, why are you not asking your own solicitor for advice? Seems a bit odd to be chatting to the estate agent about it when they're probably just as clueless about the legal implications.

Hi - think my concern re property being reclaimed comes from years ago having bought a second-hand car and then it being reclaimed by the rightful owner (it had been stolen) via the police.

Ok, but the closer analogy now would be the other way round i.e. you selling a house you didn't actually own...

Yes, you are right.

lesley2020

Albermarle said:

Personally I would be more worried that they were perhaps a bit of a dodgy character generally and might not be a proper cash buyer- just a chancer.

Funnily enough they were very quick to get a proper survey done (which will have cost them) and to be fair they have been prompt at replying to EA. Let's hope not because of police or HMRC snapping at their heels.

Grumpy_chap

RHemmings said:

EDIT: However, if the buyer is dodgy, I would be concerned about other types of dodginess. E.g. trying to unreasonably negotiate the price down after a survey. 

Oddly, my take would be that the Purchaser, if using ill-gotten gains to make a cash purchase would be more likely to be easy to deal with and keep an outward appearance of "holier than thou" lovely person to deal with and generally keep head down.

It is like when there is some horrific crimes reported in the news and the TV interview a neighbour who says "well I never, they were the nicest people ever, what a terrible turn of events"

Albermarle

Grumpy_chap said:

RHemmings said:

EDIT: However, if the buyer is dodgy, I would be concerned about other types of dodginess. E.g. trying to unreasonably negotiate the price down after a survey. 

Oddly, my take would be that the Purchaser, if using ill-gotten gains to make a cash purchase would be more likely to be easy to deal with and keep an outward appearance of "holier than thou" lovely person to deal with and generally keep head down.

It is like when there is some horrific crimes reported in the news and the TV interview a neighbour who says "well I never, they were the nicest people ever, what a terrible turn of events"

Or when people get scammed for large amounts of money, they often say ' but he was such a nice man ' 

lesley2020

Albermarle said:

Grumpy_chap said:

RHemmings said:

EDIT: However, if the buyer is dodgy, I would be concerned about other types of dodginess. E.g. trying to unreasonably negotiate the price down after a survey. 

Oddly, my take would be that the Purchaser, if using ill-gotten gains to make a cash purchase would be more likely to be easy to deal with and keep an outward appearance of "holier than thou" lovely person to deal with and generally keep head down.

It is like when there is some horrific crimes reported in the news and the TV interview a neighbour who says "well I never, they were the nicest people ever, what a terrible turn of events"

Or when people get scammed for large amounts of money, they often say ' but he was such a nice man ' 

Funnily enough, EA says he seems 'a nice man - very chatty' !!

horsewithnoname

lesley2020 said:

Albermarle said:

Personally I would be more worried that they were perhaps a bit of a dodgy character generally and might not be a proper cash buyer- just a chancer.

Funnily enough they were very quick to get a proper survey done (which will have cost them) and to be fair they have been prompt at replying to EA. Let's hope not because of police or HMRC snapping at their heels.

HMRC would take the house if he’d spent the money. Assets are fair game, not just cash. 

RHemmings

Grumpy_chap said:

RHemmings said:

EDIT: However, if the buyer is dodgy, I would be concerned about other types of dodginess. E.g. trying to unreasonably negotiate the price down after a survey. 

Oddly, my take would be that the Purchaser, if using ill-gotten gains to make a cash purchase would be more likely to be easy to deal with and keep an outward appearance of "holier than thou" lovely person to deal with and generally keep head down.

It is like when there is some horrific crimes reported in the news and the TV interview a neighbour who says "well I never, they were the nicest people ever, what a terrible turn of events"

Yes, but we don't know that the buyer would be using stolen cash to buy the house, just that they look a bit suspicious. If they are suspicious/dodgy (which we and the OP don't know yet), then the dodginess may express itself in the use of dodgy funds to buy and/or other dodginess.

Personally I think that if they are suspicious that even then the chance that illegitimate funds are going to be used to buy the house is small, and the chances of other dodginess are higher. I agree with you that if illegitimate funds are being used then they will try to appear a very good buyer. But, this is not the only possible scenario. 

Jellynailer

Check with Which scams = free service.  They did once post about a scam involving renting a property, transferring the title to the dodgy renters name and then selling it before the owner was aware.  

Like you I am suspicious and wonder if the plan is to obtain as much info in the pre purchase stages, including an official copy of the deeds, delay the purchase while the property is reregistered and sold.  Do let us know the result of your enquiries about the solicitor and whether your solicitor can obtain proper ID.  

If you get an address but are still unsure I suggest you ask Action Fraud or the Police in that town for help to check it out.  Scammers can fake anything these days so a sham utility bill is unlikely to be too difficult for them.

In the meantime, I would phone your region's Land Registry office, tell them your concerns and ask if there is a way you can prevent anyone registering a new title without a special code that only LR and you know.  I don't know if this is possible but it is worth trying to put your mind at rest.

Oh dear, I may have overthunk this but hope my ramblings are helpful.

Grumpy_chap

Jellynailer said:

Check with Which scams = free service.  They did once post about a scam involving renting a property, transferring the title to the dodgy renters name and then selling it before the owner was aware.  

Like you I am suspicious and wonder if the plan is to obtain as much info in the pre purchase stages, including an official copy of the deeds, delay the purchase while the property is reregistered and sold.  Do let us know the result of your enquiries about the solicitor and whether your solicitor can obtain proper ID.  

If you get an address but are still unsure I suggest you ask Action Fraud or the Police in that town for help to check it out.  Scammers can fake anything these days so a sham utility bill is unlikely to be too difficult for them.

In the meantime, I would phone your region's Land Registry office, tell them your concerns and ask if there is a way you can prevent anyone registering a new title without a special code that only LR and you know.  I don't know if this is possible but it is worth trying to put your mind at rest.

Oh dear, I may have overthunk this but hope my ramblings are helpful.

It is possible to sign up to a Land Registry alert:
https://www.gov.uk/protect-land-property-from-fraud

The suspicious purchaser can buy a copy of the deeds from Land Registry as they are deemed public domain.  No need to pick a property that is for sale and pursue in the open.