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Original poster

Buyer has entered property pre exchange and started renovation

548 replies

Iwishiwasjoking · 08/05/2024 21:30

We were supposed to exchnage last week, then yesterday, now the proposal is exchange and complete tomorrow, all delays on buyers side told its mortgage company releasing fund.

property was vacated last week, but I removed the last items yesterday. Went back this evening to do a meter reading. Garden dug up, carpets ripped out, all windows open, lights on.

I am so shocked I have no idea what to do now …technically is burglary … but if this sale falls through I have a much less saleable house …

and before you ask how has he got in, there was a lockbox with keys in that the estate agents have been using … so either they’ve shared the code with him or he’s watched them and then let himself in.

OP posts:
Isabella70 · 09/05/2024 08:28

Isabella70 · 09/05/2024 08:26

This happened to us (admittedly about 30 years ago but...):

  1. It turned out that there was a standard the contract saying that the buyer could move in, with our permission, and set out a rent they had to pay. I would talk to you solicitor to see if this is still the case.
  2. We threatened the estate agent with court for allowing the keys to leave their control and they waived their fee.

I should have said also we accepted the 'rent' option - in fact we benefited from it and, while going to court might have been satisfying, the old saying that no-one goes to court for fun is true.

Thisbastardcomputer · 09/05/2024 08:29

God almighty the CFs.

I thought our potential buyer took the biscuit by applying for planning permission early on in the buying process, we had planning for building plots on our huge garden, he wanted it amended. The deal fell through and he'd spent over £3k engaging an Architect and planning fees.

TheFormidableMrsC · 09/05/2024 08:30

Curiousto · 09/05/2024 07:17

My last buyers practically moved in before exchange. When I found all their stuff and blew up at the EA, the EA said the buyer removal arrangements had fallen through, so they had to move in as much as they could pre exchange or the chain would fall through.

Their beds were up in the bedrooms, fully made up with linen. Their books were out on the bookshelves. This wasn't getting loads of stuff in quickly, it was setting up home! I hadn't even moved my final bits out yet 😳

I made it clear to the EA that what they had done was illegal and they should have discussed the chain situation with me. I rang a solicitor friend who reminded me eyes on the prize...exchange in 2 days...if it isn't, call me back.

So I went back in my house to grab the final items and, oh dear, the final items just happened to be behind some very poorly stacked boxes. I accidentally knocked those boxes to the floor. Unfortunately it sounded like an item or two may have got broken inside. Those boxes just happened to fall on another stack of poorly dumped items. Which had the domino effect across my garage. Oh dear.

I also found a spare garage remote key in my glovebox a few days after completion. There are still occasions 3 years on where the button on the key seems to accidentally get triggered when I drive past the house. Leaving their garage door, and therefore access to the house, wide open.

All the EA ever did was send me a bunch of flowers as an apology. I didn't have the energy to take things further. I do now blacken his name in the town every chance I get.

I too am curious as to how yours will conclude @Iwishiwasjoking Please come back and update.

Edited

You sound unhinged. 3 years on and you're still behaving like that?

PieFaces · 09/05/2024 08:30

Oh heck!

pontipinemum · 09/05/2024 08:31

Hopefully it goes through today, and that's the end of it. But I'd be very p'd off with the estate agent!

fungipie · 09/05/2024 08:33

Just read this thread and I am staggered and so angry and upset on your behalf- can't wait for your update and fingers crossed. Just un be lie va ble ++++

GrimDamnFanjo · 09/05/2024 08:37

Well at least you know they're keen!

Allthehorsesintheworld · 09/05/2024 08:38

First log it with the police.
Second contact the property ombudsman. https://www.tpos.co.uk/
If they gave access to the property / access code info this is a serious breach. You would be entitled to claim financial redress if the sale does not complete. If it does I would claim all their fees back.
Take photos, lots of photos. Also store “ before” photos that the agent took.
Set out your complaint clearly.
I found the Ombudsman helpful and got all fees back. ( different type of dispute, not so easy to prove via photos)

The Property Ombudsman scheme: free, fair & impartial redress

Is your estate agent/letting agent registered? The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme independently reviews complaints for buyers, sellers, landlords & tenants

https://www.tpos.co.uk/

Potnoodlesarentantisocial · 09/05/2024 08:38

TheFormidableMrsC · 09/05/2024 08:30

You sound unhinged. 3 years on and you're still behaving like that?

Show quote history

I know.... It's insane... She's literally admitting to regularly unlocking someone's houses and leaving the garage wide open, all out of spite. What a vile vile person.

If she gets satisfaction from something like that, she needs to see a psychiatrist. Immediately.

Roselilly36 · 09/05/2024 08:40

How did they get access? I would be onto my solicitor first thing.

laclochette · 09/05/2024 08:41

Ultimately you don't want this sale to fall through just to spite them as it's the very definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
I would however put a lot of pressure on the agent to eg waive their fees. They also don't want the sale to fall through, but they have massively f-ed up. Court is expensive and basically pointless as all you'll be is vindicated but poorer and more stressed. So make the EA the focus of your ire and turn it to your financial advantage.

CypressSunflower · 09/05/2024 08:45

Iwishiwasjoking · 08/05/2024 22:22

I emailed them straight away too. They negotiated a price reduction when they saw the state of the carpets without furniture last week!

Show quote history

The carpets they knew they were ripping out?!!!

CFs all round!! so angry on your behalf OP.

Projectme · 09/05/2024 08:45

Interested to find out what happens today!

EA totally out of order and the buyers are real CFs!!

SuperSue77 · 09/05/2024 08:45

OMG!!! The cheek of it.

Notamum12345577 · 09/05/2024 08:47

cultjarteriaky · 09/05/2024 07:40

Following because I need to know the end!

Same here!

Minfilia · 09/05/2024 08:48
Shock

I can’t believe anyone would do this, that’s so bad!

NotAgainWilson · 09/05/2024 08:51

Best of luck today, I hope the exchange go through without problems but yes, massive complaint about EA.

Lwrenn · 09/05/2024 08:52

I'm gobsmacked by the level of utter twattishness.

I'd be mentioning this in my review

Idontjetwashthefucker · 09/05/2024 08:53

Roselilly36 · 09/05/2024 08:40

How did they get access? I would be onto my solicitor first thing.

If you read at least OPs posts you will see how they got in

SoupChicken · 09/05/2024 08:55

Iwishiwasjoking · 08/05/2024 21:58

All locked back up, lights off and everything secured. Garage has a load of their equipment in that they can’t get to now!

Show quote history

I’d be tempted to take it and be like ‘what equipment? 🤷‍♀️’

K0OLA1D · 09/05/2024 08:55

Wow. This is crazy. I hope everything goes through today OP

Mothership4two · 09/05/2024 08:55

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 09/05/2024 07:31

So if someone did that to you, you would be ok with it? Breaking into your home 🙄 and you wouldn’t have a problem.

Show quote history

No-one is saying they'd be OK with it. I'd be furious. However deliberately damaging somebody's things (more than once) and randomly activating garage door remote years later is appalling, vindictive and a tad nutty. If @Curiousto wanted to make a point they could have put the stuff outside letting the EA know. Obviously nothing of theirs or the property had been damaged/was missing or they would have mentioned that. I think I would have made a couple of angry phonecalls, taken photos etc, rolled my eyes and thought "at least I know we are definitely going to exchange" - the sale going through being the most important thing. Yes what they did was illegal and yes absolutely CF behaviour, but, in the scheme of things what difference did it actually make to Curiousto? They were able to get their stuff and left- exactly as they had intended to do. 48 hours later it was no longer their problem.

However I am very surprised any EA would condone and enable this to happen in the first place.

NoraBattysCurlers · 09/05/2024 08:58

Curiousto · 09/05/2024 07:17

My last buyers practically moved in before exchange. When I found all their stuff and blew up at the EA, the EA said the buyer removal arrangements had fallen through, so they had to move in as much as they could pre exchange or the chain would fall through.

Their beds were up in the bedrooms, fully made up with linen. Their books were out on the bookshelves. This wasn't getting loads of stuff in quickly, it was setting up home! I hadn't even moved my final bits out yet 😳

I made it clear to the EA that what they had done was illegal and they should have discussed the chain situation with me. I rang a solicitor friend who reminded me eyes on the prize...exchange in 2 days...if it isn't, call me back.

So I went back in my house to grab the final items and, oh dear, the final items just happened to be behind some very poorly stacked boxes. I accidentally knocked those boxes to the floor. Unfortunately it sounded like an item or two may have got broken inside. Those boxes just happened to fall on another stack of poorly dumped items. Which had the domino effect across my garage. Oh dear.

I also found a spare garage remote key in my glovebox a few days after completion. There are still occasions 3 years on where the button on the key seems to accidentally get triggered when I drive past the house. Leaving their garage door, and therefore access to the house, wide open.

All the EA ever did was send me a bunch of flowers as an apology. I didn't have the energy to take things further. I do now blacken his name in the town every chance I get.

I too am curious as to how yours will conclude @Iwishiwasjoking Please come back and update.

Edited

Bunny boiler.

ZaraWebsiteGivingMeTheDoubleRage · 09/05/2024 08:58

It's unusual to dig up the garden at the start of a renovation.

Mugcake · 09/05/2024 08:58

Oh my god, the audacity of some people! Hope it goes smoothly for you today🤞