Developer wins legal battle against defaulting buyer

A British developer has won a legal battle with a buyer who sought to reclaim his deposit after trying to back out of a sale.

The buyer, who purchased a unit in a luxury off-plan development in the centre of Belfast in 2007 was ordered to pay £391,000, his full outstanding balance on the property within six weeks.

The developer, Big Picture Developments has taken legal action against dozens of clients who bought at the height of property boom but were either unwilling or unable to fulfill their contractual obligations.

The strategy seems to have been successful as the number of outstanding legal cases has gradually diminished and purchases have been steadily pushed through.

Big Picture Developments are one of a number of high-profile UK developers who have mounted legal action against defaulting buyers in the last 12 months.

Further coverage on BBC.co.uk