Can the estate agent keep the deposit?
Our (supposedly respectable) estate agents are trying to keep the deposit for the sale of our villa when the buyers pulled out because they couldn't get a mortgage. The estate agent told us they were cash buyers, 5 months later it all fell apart when the couldnt get the funds. Our solicitor and our estate agent friends say the law is on our side and we should have the deposit as the sale fell through from no fault of ours. The agent still refuses to hand over the money owed, even though our solicitor has also told him its against the law. We have told the agent again what he's doing is against the law and that we will take our story to the AIPP, newspapers, tv, etc as well as filling in the complaints book at his business, denouncing him and eventually to court. He also has never given us a factura for that so isn't he also technically stealing this deposit? Also that must mean he's fiddling the tax as no bill with vat has been risen? His latest reply is that we have threatened and slandered him and he's been advised to sue us!!! I presume the threats are the BBC! and the slander because I reminded him that he had 'previous' for this scam as he tried to keep TWO deposits that fell through when my Uncle sold a property through him several years ago, but he had eventually paid up. I have to say I'm fuming at the cheek of the bloke. Is there anything else I can do/say that will get me anywhere with this estate agents? Ultimately I would like them to pay my deposit, all my costs (lawyers etc), be heavily fined by the junta, get some really bad publicity to warn others and be put in the stocks!!!! And anything else horrible you can think of...that's legal of course! ;)