Buyer pulled out - worth chasing for legal fees?

[dizzylows]

Our buyer pulled out last week and we've just had a bill from the solicitor for nearly £700 and although I'm pretty sure it's pointless, I wonder if it's totally bonkers to ask the agent to ask the ex-buyers for a contribution... maybe I'm just being mean... and bonkers?

Is there any legal grounds? We were still at least a couple of months from exchange but I think they'd had searches done.

They'd also had the survey done and everything seemed fine then they said they'd found a better house and had decided to go for that. We've been on the market for a nearly a year with only a couple of low offers and I was banking on them.
It's our mum's house and I've handled the probate and everything so I've also kind of had enough by now.

Is there any possible legal redress or am I just rubbing salt on the wound?

No chance, sorry. Choose a solicitor who only charges on completion next time.

Assuming you're in England, no. Anyone can pull out before exchange with absolutely no consequences. It's a totally crazy system. It's not worth your energy even asking

No sorry but I don't think you have any recourse.

No exchange, no contract, no redress.

This happened to me. It’s ridiculous isn’t it?

No, you’ll sadly just look insane. It’s clear in England that there’s no liability until exchange. Most people choose solicitors who don’t incur charges unless completion happens for that reason; although you can often get cheaper rates if you choose one that charges regardless. It’s a risk that hasn’t paid off for you this time.

I didn’t know that there were solicitors who don’t charge if you don’t complete. They do the work up to the point of collapse but don’t get paid for it?

I’m suspicious of the professional trustworthiness of a solicitor who would take a job on under those conditions. Seems like those no-win-no-fee ambulance chasers.

I was in a similar position recently, but £2k in fees and a week from exchange. It’s gutting but I just had to suck it up. Also had a £900 management pack to pay for (leasehold flat) which expires in a month.

It’s totally unfair but the system won’t change. Sorry about your situation - hope you sell soon.

No chance of this being successful, unfortunately. It is the same both ways.

Sorry OP I had 2 sales fall though on my last property so know the pain. But I'd ask for the survey as a gesture of goodwill. It's useless to them now anyway and you can show it to potential buyers in the future or address anything that might hurt your chance of selling. Xx

You do realise that many seriously injured people wouldn't be able to get their deserved compensation without the existence of NWNF agreements? Very few people have the means to pay privately for those claims.

No chance. There is no legal commitment until exchange, that’s why house buying/selling is so stressful!

I'm in a similar situation and furious. I honestly don't see why I can't get my money back as its in no way MY fault.

In my case its a probate house but the seller has found out they aren't able to claim the house (won't explain why just that probate for the house isn't going to happen now) which makes it not their house and not sellable.

Why should I lose money because they tried to sell a house they don't own or have legal claim too?

EA is saying its no ones fault as its a probate issue, they aren't officially cancelling the sale but also saying it can't proceed so we are in a weird limbo but surely you can't sell something you don't own and we spent money in good faith that they had a legitimate claim to it obviously.

What is to stop anyone posting for sale any random house they don't own for no reason if theres no consequences to them?

Said gently, but you need to let it go now and accept that money is gone.

I was selling my house and then due to circumstances beyond my control I had to take my house off the market.
We had buyers who had ordered surveys and paid for searches and so on.
It amounted to almost £900. I could never have forgiven myself if I didn't pay them that money back. So I did.

My own solicitor was telling me that I didn't have to do it.

Some people have morals about things like this. Other people don't give a stuff.

Yes, and NWNF weigh up the prospects of success before taking on the claim. It's just marketing to get the work. When so many house sales fall through for whatever reason, it assures the client that they won't lose money, and they factor potential losses into the fees with the 'wins'.

You're a very unusual person that you paid money you didn't need to pay.

It's amazing you did that but best that @dizzylows doesn't get their hopes up.

It was your fault for not researching solicitors. I've moved house 10 times and have never paid anything to my solicitor for a buyer pulling out.

You can get insurance for this next time. It's available for both sellers and buyers and covers costs if the other party pulls out.