Dispute over £21k deposit shows importance of sales contracts

A legal case about the return of the deposit after a vetting found the issue could have been avoided

- BECKY MURRAY

A DISPUTE over the return of a deposit when the sale of a pony fell through could have been avoided had a contract been in place, a judge has ruled.

In a Southend County Court hearing on 20 March, Judge Holmes ruled that “the vetting was unsuccessful and Mrs Bearman was entitled to treat the contract as discharged and is entitled to the return of the money she paid by way of deposit”.

In June 2022, Theresa Bearman agreed to buy 138cm showjumper Letterkeen Bettyn from Raquel Eldridge-Keenan for £85,000. Mrs Bearman paid a £21,500 deposit stating that she would “pay the rest following a vetting” – and a message from Ms EldridgeKeenan said that if the pony “breaks a leg etc, I will refund all of it”.