{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/778837.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":778837,"attributes":{"action":"Make Property Offers Legally Binding to Protect Buyers and Sellers","background":"Make accepted property offers legally binding. Too often, buyers withdraw late in the process after sellers have spent time and money progressing the sale, leaving sellers out of pocket. Introduce penalties for unjustified withdrawals to protect both parties.","additional_details":"In England and Wales, buyers can withdraw from a property purchase at almost any point before exchange of contracts. Too often, buyers pull out after sellers have spent weeks or months paying for solicitors, surveys, searches and other costs. This can leave sellers thousands of pounds out of pocket and cause entire chains to collapse. We want accepted offers to be legally binding, with fair exceptions for genuine circumstances, protecting both buyers and sellers from unnecessary financial loss.","committee_note":null,"state":"rejected","signature_count":6,"created_at":"2026-08-04T08:26:16.331Z","updated_at":"2026-09-03T16:43:01.955Z","rejected_at":"2026-09-03T16:42:50.525Z","opened_at":null,"closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-08-04T10:12:40.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":null,"rejection":{"code":"duplicate","details":"You may wish to sign this petition which calls for a similar action: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767569"},"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[]}}}