Delays in the buying process

[margaretb]

We are in the process of buying (I hope) a property. The compromis specified a date of last Friday for the contract to be signed, but the vendor is having issues with family members demanding a greater share of the price and so could not sign the contract by the date. We have a separate notaire who seems to be quite capable, but we are not sure of the legal process at this stage.

Has any one else had this issue or any comments that would help us?

[P-D de Rouffignac]

Are you referring to the compromis de vente when you say that the vendor is unable to, or has not yet signed, 'the contract'? This situation rings alarm bells, as either there are multiple owners/vendors, in which case all their names and signatures should appear on the compromis and acte finale. And they should equally all have signed a sales mandate with the agent before the property was put on the market. Family differences should have been sorted out well before this stage.

If on the other hand there is truly only one single owner/vendor, then disputes with his/her family about how he/she might share the proceeds of the sale are of no concern to you the buyers, and do not constitute a reason for delaying the sale.

This is a bad situatiion and I think you need to speak urgently to both the agent and the Notaire to clarify.

Cordialement - P-D de R.