I know this is a question for the solicitor but as we seem to have a good sample of everyone on the 'cat I thought I'd ask... ;-)

My Mum is moving house. She wouldn't thank me for giving her age but considering I am 52 it might give you some idea. It is, for obvious reasons, a very fraught time. She has sold the house after a long struggle and is moving into rented accomodation until she can find somewhere else. (Thanks to another member of the folk world the rented accom is just what she needed btw!) I say sold - it is very nearly sold. The contracts were exchanged yesterday and the completion should take place on the 26th.

Blow me, yesterday a letter from the council planning department lands on her step out of the blue. The next door neighbour, who himself has just moved in, has appled to build a full height extension going 12' back which will take light from the back of the curent house. If she was stopping she would object and probably will anyway. Her big worry is that the purchaser now has recourse to back out!

I understand that once contracts have been exchanged it would be very difficult to back out but, here is where the question lies, does anyone know whether this type of thing would be valid reason for the purchaser to breach the contract? Date wise what happened is that the letter was typed on Friday the 5th. The contracts were exchanged on Monday the 8th. The letter was posted on Monday the 8th and arrived today, Tuesday the 9th.

I am calling in both the solicitors and the town planning department tomorrow so any advice before then would be most welcome.

I guess it could be open to a song challenge as well:-)

Cheers

Dave the Gnome