Assassin
Well-Known Member
The only way to advise on this properly is to see all the evidence as to what was agreed, and we don’t have that in this thread
There is quite a lot of pub legal analysts is above that is 100% wrong. Eg the seller cannot get a court to force performance of the contract, and contract terms CAN be unreasonable especially in C2C. The UK state does not wipe its citizens bottoms.
Critically, whether it was deposit or part payment the seller has some rights but not an automatic right to keep the £20k. He may only keep -at most- the amount of his reasonably foreseeable (by the buyer) loss.
You cannot pursue a £20k claim in the small claims track. You have to go to the big boys court and that requires great care as to your risk of losing and having to pay your opponents costs. Buckle up.
I thought it was currently £10K.