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?

I was worried they'd start pulling out other stuff and flogging it on marketplace. They're a very strange family who believe it's worth more I suspect.

I would threaten to back out and follow through if they've already felled the trees. They are seriously devaluing the property after agreeing a price. Greedy bastards. I wouldn't give a shit if they were legally allowed to do it or not. They are acting in bad faith. They're literally deforesting the place. You going to letthem take the floorboards up as well and still pay the agreed price. Sod that.

Are you the “friend”?

yes, right to be worried

They clearly aren’t bothered about selling anyway

It’s awful, the seller is basically ruining the property for cash. Depending on the tree species and quality, some timber sells for a high price (such as oak or walnut that can be used for furniture).
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Honestly, I’d pull out now. The sellers can’t be trusted.

I'm not the friend. Just shocked at the vandalism.

Surely they pull out now then if the land is no longer as they want it?

So your friends said cease

and did they respond? Or did they just carry on?

has their solicitor given any further advice?

They're not the seller but offspring of the seller. There's three offspring one local who's organised the felling. The owner is still alive but very elderly.

Then get in touch and explain you won't purchase without the trees.

Cutting down trees on your property that aren’t protected for firewood is not vandalism.

The buyer has said “oi stop”

the seller has basically said “go jump”

so…. The ball is now in your friend’s court.

I reckon they’ll have POA

Potentially these people are difficult with all potential buyers.

Your friends should walk away.

Dang. I think you're probably right. Despite all the agents blurb and photos of the woodland and orchards.

They’re going to have to get replanting!

They’re not cutting down the orchard too are they? That seems odd

The property was valued with mature trees as part of the sale - if there are no longer mature trees then thats a different proposition, reduce the offer/rescind the offer accordingly.

And the seller will walk
They’ve been told to stop
they haven’t
so now buyer can suck it up or withdraw

It is really that simple

Probably. Suspect the others who live away will have no idea what's going on because the local one is handling everything so I guess does have POA

Christ, I'd be wondering what else they might do at any point between now and completion (and perhaps even afterwards). I wouldn't touch the place with a barge pole. There'll always be another house.

I had a workmate who bought from 'tricky' vendors. When she moved in they vendors had taken al the fireplaces, light switches, light fittings and the entire kitchen. Apparently the kitchen had been hand made by the vendor and he didn't want to leave it behind. She took them to court for the kitchen and the vendor was forced to return it. The whole thing took well over a year and by the time the kitchen was returned they'd already fitted a new one.

There was so much bad feeling between the two parties by then that as the vendor unloaded his hand made kitchen onto their drive, my work mate's husband was throwing it on a bonfire right in front of his face out of spite.

These things can get very nasty.

Know a few wood turning and other woodworking artists. It's worth a small fortune even if it's not the best quality. It's quite popular at the moment to take a chunk of flawed wood, scrape out the crappy bits and fill with coloured resin before turning to reveal the interesting patternation caused by of a random bit of rot. A random stump is worth several hundred to the right artist.

They need to pull out. These sellers are thoroughly untrustworthy and will continue to grab things prior to the sale.

Have they filled out and filed the fixtures and content form? If so, they need to state on that form what they are leaving and taking. There is a section for the garden and it cover trees, plants and shrubs.

if they have ticked ‘included’ then they have now changed those terms and this needs discussing with the solicitor. If they have ticked excluded then I guess they do what they like?

I would hazard that the person filling out the form is different to the person doing the cutting down? In which case, they will need to issue something to ensure nothing further takes place (inside or out) if they decide to proceed.

My friend took a seller to small claims over removal of kitchen items noted as included in the legal paperwork. They had to be reinstated.

Absolutely this.

Immediately get that message to them via your estate agent or solicitor: you will pull out if the trees are chopped down.

They're inordinately obsessed with the land were born, raised there, kept horses Etc. perhaps can't afford to buy their siblings out. So it has to be sold.

Sorry you didn’t confirm whether they are also cutting down the orchard?

What type of orchard?

Am I reading a synopsis of Emmerdale and are your friends Vendors the Dingles?