Property Purchase Dispute Solicitors
Buying a property is the largest financial transaction most people make. When it goes wrong — misrepresentation, contract failure, or hidden defects — the losses are serious and the law provides remedies.
Property purchase disputes arise from misrepresentation by the seller or their agents, defects concealed or not disclosed, conveyancing errors by solicitors, contract breaches, and failures at completion. The remedies range from rescission and the return of the purchase price to damages for the full financial loss caused. A specialist solicitor will identify the legal basis for your claim and the most effective route to recovery.
Types of Claim
Property purchase disputes — the legal claims available and how they work.
Property purchase claims fall into several overlapping categories. A solicitor will identify which legal basis applies to your loss and the route that gives the best prospects of recovery.
Seller misrepresentation
Where a seller made a false statement — verbally or in the TA6 property information form — that induced you to buy the property, you may have a claim under the Misrepresentation Act 1967. Remedies include rescission (unwinding the transaction) and/or damages for the difference in value between what was represented and what was actually purchased. Concealment of known defects — damp, flooding history, neighbour disputes, planning applications — can all give rise to misrepresentation claims. A solicitor will assess whether the representation was made and whether it was material to the purchase.
Estate agent misrepresentation
Estate agents who make false or misleading statements about a property — its size, condition, planning status, or permitted development rights — can be liable under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and the Misrepresentation Act. Claims can be brought against the agent directly and, where they were acting as the seller's agent, against the seller. A solicitor will identify the appropriate defendants and assess the strength of the claim against each.
Conveyancing solicitor negligence
A conveyancing solicitor owes a duty to advise on all matters arising from the title documents, searches, and survey that could affect the purchase. Where a solicitor failed to advise on a defect in title, a restrictive covenant, an adverse entry on the local authority search, or a planning or enforcement issue — and that failure caused a financial loss — a professional negligence claim is available. A solicitor will assess whether the conveyancer fell below the required standard of care and quantify the resulting loss.
Surveyor negligence
A surveyor who carries out a HomeBuyer Report or full structural survey owes a duty of care to identify defects that would be apparent to a reasonably competent surveyor. Where the survey failed to identify a defect that should have been noted — structural issues, damp, roof problems, subsidence — the surveyor may be liable for the cost of repair or the difference in value. A specialist surveyor's expert report is needed to establish what a competent survey should have identified. A solicitor will manage the claim and instruct experts.
Contract breaches and completion failures
Where a seller fails to complete — or completes late — the buyer can forfeit the deposit (if the buyer is in breach), or pursue the seller for specific performance and damages (if the seller is in breach). Where completion fails for reasons outside both parties' control — a mortgage offer falling through, a related transaction collapsing — the position depends on the terms of the contract and any condition attached to the purchase. A solicitor will advise on the contractual position and the available remedies in the specific circumstances.
Defective title and title insurance
Where a defect in the title to the property is discovered after completion — an undisclosed covenant, a missing right of way, an adverse possession claim, or an unregistered interest — the remedies depend on how the defect arose and whether it was disclosed. Title insurance is often the fastest and most cost-effective solution where a known risk is assessed. Where a defect was not disclosed or was negligently missed, a claim against the seller or conveyancer may be available. A solicitor will advise on the correct approach for the specific defect identified.