Bought a small holding the owners are chopping down the trees.

[justasking111]

Not exchanged yet but the owners offspring are now chopping down the trees presumably for firewood to sell. Do friends have any rights before exchange or could all the trees be gone before they buy it?

Are they being unreasonable to be upset or is it fair practice before exchange?

They've no rights before exchange, and no contract is in place yet, but they can tell them they won't buy it if the trees are cut down.

They have a solicitor presumably?

How many trees are we talking here?

Until you've completed it's their land. But you have every right too pull out if the sale.
Maybe remind them of this

Google suggests that trees are considered fixtures and therefore included in the sale unless specifically excluded in the contract

I am not a a property lawyer though

AI

Yes, a seller can cut down a tree before exchange, but they must ensure there are no legal restrictions like a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or a felling licence, as cutting down a protected tree without permission is a criminal offense with severe penalties. It is also important that the tree's removal doesn't invalidate any mortgage requirements or cause a breach of contract.

But they really want it. The trees are mature and give shade and privacy. There's woodland and an orchard.

Oh hang on, just saw they haven’t exchanged yet

In that case they have no rights except to withdraw from buying

They do.

Dozens

And? What did Sol say?

Get on the solicitor immediately and threaten to pull out of the sale if they touch any more.

They've done that it's been ignored.

So…. Your friends were bluffing? They need to pull out then

The seller has been told the consequences
They carried on anyway, which is their right given no exchange
and your friends right to now withdraw

but given they haven’t withdrawn, it would appear they were bluffing

I’d be dropping the offer price, as the property has changed significantly since it was advertised.

What does the contract say?

If they’ve been ignored, probably best to pull out of the sale then as who knows what else the sellers might do before exchanging, What a shame.

Won’t work

The sellers aren’t bothered even if they walk

so not going to be held over a barrel with an offer reduction

Time for friends to pull out and start looking at other properties in that case. Sorry

They are cutting down dozens of mature trees for firewood? They are fucking vandals. I'm not sure I'd want them to have a penny of my money and if I did go ahead and buy I think I'd forever mourn the loss of the trees, so I think they really should pull out. That's appalling. Bastards.

I would have said they need to speak to the agent and either threaten to drop the price or pull out if they carry on. But they have made their threat and not followed through on it, so have lost bargaining power. The most they can do now is say they want to drop the price of this continues- but I wouldn't take them seriously.

They weren't bluffing. Just requested they cease.

The property has been on the market for a few years. It's a huge job to renovate. So been little interest I suspect. It's been reduced a few times over the years.

They need to pull out. I couldn't live there after that, it would rankle every day.

You said that they’d said they threatened to pull out unless the stopped cutting down?

They requested they cease
the sellers responded with…. Tumbleweed or a flat “no!”