To forcibly ask why you pulled out?

[MyPeachLion]

I am (was!) a cash buyer of a 900k property. We were due to exchange next week. And complete after 2 weeks. We went 30k above asking and 20k above another bidder. No other bidder was a cash buyer. We are about 10 weeks into the sale.

My solicitor informs me this afternoon that the seller pulled out with NO reason given.

Can I turn up to the seller's house and ask the seller face to face why they pulled out? AIBU?

The estage agent did not even bother to inform me, despite the seller telling them last weekend that he was cancelling.

No chain on the seller's end - they have a new build they have already moved into! Seller moved out of their property early last week. We know because we visited the house for kitchen measurements last week!

I rang the EA this morning to get dates so I can get carpet quotes for next week and the EA was on board! Not once did he mention that the seller pulled out.

I am pissed off for not knowing why he pulled out, and for the EA to not inform me of it, and then proceed to play me like a fool by humouring my requests for carpet tradesmen to enter next week.
Were they meant to enter through the cat flap?

Again, is it unreasonable to just face this time-wasting seller and ask them why?

Gawd, I'd want to know why, cash or mortgage, and 20k or 20 million. No they don't have to sell it to you, and weirdly in English law they don't have to, despite verbally and literally making contracts. But irl they've cost you money, alot, time and pain and wtf is wrong with asking what happened?

They tell u to fo, lost nothing, they explain why, you get a bit of closure and maybe an opportunity to buy further down the line.

Tis truly a cautionary tale to buyers though, thanks for sharing.

Haha so do I that’s why I clicked on it 😂

I admire people that save so much money and it’s obvious some on here are just jealous of your wealth. You are not being unreasonable to be pissed off and want answers, I would too.

The op said earlier on that she will not ask the vendors the reason for their - sudden 'interruptus'. She let off steam here and knows she'll get over it.

I don't blame her for being upset and annoyed but these things do pass. Something better will be around the corner before too long.

It is sad that people are jealous and resentful of those better off. Feelings like that are destructive. A well off person will still have difficulties in life of some kind or another, for example illness is no respecter of wealth, it strikes anyone.

No you can't.

Annoying as it is, until contracts are exchanged nothing is certain.

It's so frustrating when this happens! Years ago we were living with my parents as we'd moved back from abroad. Found a perfect little house, a few minutes from dcs' school, near their friends, within our budget etc. We'd had the surveys etc and they pulled out! We were really upset as we were not getting on well with living with my parents and really needed to move out. We found out that this was the THIRD time the sellers had done that.

I would be beyond pissed off in your shoes! However, stomping round and demanding an explanation will get you nowhere and gain you a reputation as a crazy person, possibly even an arrest for a public order offence! Just don't do it! As PP's have said, they have probably got a better offer and they're grabbing the extra cash?

Until you exchange you don’t have any rights..

we recently purchased .. and the seller pulled out of his contract and chose us as he was annoyed with the brashness of 1st purchaser sending trades in and measuring up before they had exchanged.

admittedly he was only 3 wks into the legal paperwork with them, but he pulled out as he just didn’t want to deal with them.

until you exchange - there is very possibility either side can walk away - and not look back.

there Will be another place out there..
if you do ask I would be a calm as possible versus stomping in pointing fingers of entitlement

Yes you're being unreasonable. These things happen. It's why buying is so stressful.
Ask estate agent whether it's something you could have positioned yourselves better for - and if not don't pry further.

@MyPeachLion the price of the property is surely irrelevant? You are buying for that, they are selling. They won’t be impressed by 900k - they’re likely going on to buy something pricier. As for being a cash buyer… yes it gives you the edge, I would suspect they have chosen to stay where they are?

I wouldn’t turn up and ask them. Just find somewhere else, you’ll have lots of choice with that budget if not in v expensive areas. Good luck.

I wouldn’t confront them. Can’t your lawyer find out from their lawyer? I wouldn’t say you are ‘entitled’ to an explanation, but it would be courteous to give you one.

That’s no one’s business

So when we bought a house, we put in an offer but they had already accepted someone else’s because the estate agents didn’t tell them we had put an offer in, they contacted us on fb to ask if we liked the house and why we hadn’t put an offer in, to which we said we had.. so they pulled out of the accepted offer and accepted ours. The person turned up offering to go way above our offer… it really intimidated the seller to which she said she wouldn’t sell to her now anyway after that, so if you think you’re going to achieve anything then ok but if not I wouldn’t bother… I found the seller finding us on fb abit weird too but I let that slide due to getting the house I wanted!

Behave the way you would have wanted to behave if a close relative of them was unexpectedly diagnosed with a terrible disease.

You don't know, and it's not your business.

Sorry about the house, that's annoying.

😂

Don’t confront them, but speak to the agent and ask if the house is still being sold to another buyer. You might be able to get some of your money back that you will have spent on searches/ surveys etc. if it is. If it’s a higher offer, would you be prepared to increase your own, to match it?

What has the amount got to do with it, other than you flaunting your wealth?

I sense a touch of the green eyed monster.

Jealous? 🐲

Ignore anyone thats complaing about you mentioning the price of the house, you are not in the wrong in that area and they are just jealous assholes that wish they had half that amount in cash to buy a house.

Hope you find your dream home soon.

OMG still going? The OP last posted 5 days ago and posted 3 times in total. It needs to die now.

I totally understand how you feel. If you approach calmly and politely you are doing nothing wrong in asking. It’s not illegal to knock on someone’s door.
I have quite a dislike for estate agents. I’ve met too many manipulative ones (and I say that when I have an auntie who is one and she’s lovely). I think you have the right to ask particularly because the EA has been so disrespectful of you. I’d approach the seller in this context and tell them how the EA messed you around.
you have NOThING to lose and just in case they’re selling to someone else you need to try every avenue open to you.

I work in conveyancing. As the usual reasons such as their purchase falling through or mortgage for purchase being pulled dont seem to apply (plus the fact it will have cost them a considerable amount of money to pull out) it sounds like their life circumstances have changed eg divorce/split up. Whilst morally you should be given a reason unfortunately they don't legally have yo if you've not yet exchanged.

I do think it's a crazy system in this country that both parties could potentially shell out thousands of pounds and the transaction is not legally binding for the vast majority of the time

Jealous much!