A LEGAL wrangle involving a house never bought by a Melrose couple could set a precedent for the property market in Scotland.
Dominic and Claire Taddei could be forced to pay £134,000 over a dispute involving a property at the Trimontium Heights development in Dingleton Road.
They believed their offer for the plot and to-be built house had not been accepted, but developers Pinecraven Construction thought the sale went ahead. However, when the Guernsey-based firm sold the home later to a different buyer for a lower price, they sued the Melrose family to recover the six-figure difference.
The case was taken to the Outer House of the Court of Session in January, when Lord Kinclaven decided in favour of Pinecraven, ruling the Taddeis had entered a legally-binding deal.
Experts have warned that house buyers should ensure they can proceed with a purchase before signing a contract, otherwise they could end up bankrupt.