Why doesn't England and Wales adopt the Scottish system?

Many years ago we had our purchaser drop out one hour before exchange! I could understand why. The mortgage rate shot up from 8% to 15% that morning and building societies stopped all mortgages. There was no way that we were going to try and claim compensation from them.

We really wanted to buy Shineyland so still went ahead. We had to get a bridging loan to cover it but we were lucky that Mrs S. worked for a bank and our interest rate didn't go up and the bridging loan was at the same rate. Within three days we had furnished the old place with secondhand furniture and rented it out to students.

It took two years for the markets to settle down and we sold the house.

Agreed.

The estate agents really messed us around and I eventually found a private buyer. The agents then tried to claim their fee anyway (we had a fixed term contract with them - those contracts say that they get their fee even if we sell privately). They took me to court for it - and lost! I had argued a rather obscure point of law and the court agreed with me (not sure they should have done but I think they didn't like the agents :rasp