I feel fortunate and even blessed that my Boston downtown real estate clients have been compassionate and fair during the current crisis. There are people who have suddenly and unexpectedly lost their jobs through no fault of their own. They may have to cancel the purchase of a downtown Boston real estate deal. The purchase agreement may involve non-refundable earnest money or earnest money no longer refundable.
Backing out of Purchase and Sales Agreement
Yes having a buyer back out of a purchase is a huge inconvenience to a Boston real estate seller who may be out money, and may even have to cancel the purchase of a high rise condo for sale they were going to buy. There are things that happen to us through no fault of our own that we don’t have control over and could not have prevented.
A worldwide pandemic is inconvenient for all of us and has changed our plans for today and for the immediate future.
“Force majeure refers to unforeseeable circumstances that prevent a person or company from fulfilling a contract. The term means ‘superior force.’ We also use the terms irresistible force, vis major, cas fortuit, or casus fortuitus with the same meaning. Cas fortuit and casus fortuitus mean ‘chance occurrence.’”
I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a $5,000 or $20,000 earnest money deposit while facing unemployment because a seller insisted on enforcing the contract and keeping all or part of the earnest money.
Right now everyone is inconvenienced and all of our plans have changed and it isn’t anyone’s fault. The good news is that downtown Boston real estate is still a fairly strong market.
If you are in a position to be kind to someone else please do it even if the contract says you get to keep the earnest money. Chances are when the contract was signed neither party anticipated that businesses would close or that jobs would be lost.
Boston Real Estate and the Bottom Line
Going forward Boston downtown real estate contracts will be updated to include language about pandemics.
