A BACKBENCH politician has received overwhelming support from fellow States Members for his attempts to prevent Islanders falling victim to gazumping and gazundering when buying or selling property.
Having accepted an amendment from the Council of Ministers that would ensure a consultation on the matter is carried out with a view to future legislation, Deputy Max Andrews gained 44 votes in favour of his proposition.
The consultation, due to be completed and the subject of a report by June 2027, will look at the feasibility of bringing in pre-sale agreements that would penalise those who defaulted on pledges to buy or sell property.
Gazumping refers to instances in which a seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer despite already having agreed a sale, while gazundering is where a buyer places pressure on a seller by reducing their offer close to the completion of a sale – often just before contracts are exchanged.
Deputy Andrews described such practices as “immoral and unethical behaviour”, while Housing Minister Sam Mézec referred to the “huge disappointment and heartache” faced by those who saw transactions founder shortly before they expected to conclude the sale.
There was some criticism that the move to consultation was a stalling tactic by the Council of Ministers, with Deputy Alex Curtis seeking to scupper the amendment by forcing a separate vote.
But the St Clement representative attracted just three others to vote with him – Deputies Steve Ahier, Hilary Jeune and David Warr – while Deputy Jonathan Renouf abstained.
When it came to the vote on the main proposition, just Deputies Curtis and Ahier maintained their opposition stance.
