My grandfathers property was left behind without a "will" after my grandfather's death. This property is supposed to be divided among my father and his brothers with whom we dont have a great trust relationship. We eventually found a buyers who agreed to pay each of our individual shares separately. As per the agreement on paper - buyer agreed to pay 25 Lakhs each immediately and within a span of 6 months - pay the remaining share of each person. As per agreement, if the buyers failed to pay the amount within 6 months - the sale agreements remains nullified - which means my father and his brothers can sell the property to anybody else and will not be returning any money back to the buyers, which he paid us as the first installment. As per the Sale agreement - incase the buyer failed to pay us the entire agreed amount within 6 months and is still interested in buying the property - he will have to pay us all the interest on the remaining 2nd installment for the delayed duration which will be a huge amount.The buyer failed to pay us the entire remaining Sale Amount within six months. In between the end first year and the 3rd year the buyer pestered us to returned back the 25 lakhs he paid each of us+ the interest incurred for the time till date - since he did not want to buy the property any more. We denied to pay him back any penny as per our agreement. His actual intensions are absolutely to buy the property, however he is playing around and trying to delay the payment time, while we are incurring huge loss on the interest. So the buyer failed a case on my father that we(only my father not his brothers) have received the entire remaining amount of our share. The buyer filed the case on my father and not on my uncles since, it was easy for the buyer to forge my father's signature & create fake documents. We received a court notice stating the same. What I would like know? 1. What should we be doing next? - should we also a file a case on the buyer for filing a fake case or no act on the court notice? 2. What happens if we do not act on the court notice? 3. I also heard that people file these fake cases - just so that buyer can keep delaying the buying process and eventually buy it at the same agreed price? 4. Incase we file a case on him in response to the court notice- what will we be asked in the court? Settlement outside the court does not seem a possibility since he wants us to repay the 25 lakhs each of us paid + the interest on that amount for these many years. 5. I am thinking though he has filed a case stating that my father has received the full and final settlement - I am thinking the court will certainly ask on how was the transaction done. I think a transaction worth lakhs can only be done in cheque? We do have a bounced cheque from the buyer. 6. My father is not in great health at the moment. Between all this issues it is possible and safe for me or my mother to take the power of attorney? Will there be any question around this in the court? 7. My uncles are considering hiring two lawyers - one criminal lawyer to handle the fake case on my father having accepted the remaining balance amount of our share, and another lawyers to file case on the buyer - since he has not paid the remaining 2 installment to any of us. Does this sound reasonable? I am really hoping to hear reviews/ opinions/ suggestions from experts here. Thank you much for your time.
