Buying and Selling: Ruling on Enforcing Verbal Agreement for Property Transfer

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Buying and Selling: Ruling on Enforcing Verbal Agreement for Property Transfer

English:

Question #1577:

I bought some property from a person. We noted the sale on a piece of paper. It was agreed that the vendor should accompany me to the land registry office to transfer the property to my ownership. The vendor did not keep his word and retained ownership of the property. Have I the right to demand from him to comply with what we agreed on?

Answer #1577:

If what both of you agreed and committed to pen and paper is a proper and shar‘ī sale transaction, it is not permissible for the vendor to annul the transaction and to refuse to put it to effect. Indeed, it is legally binding on him to hand the property over to you and take necessary action to amend the title deed to bear your name. You have every right to demand from him to do so.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Buying and Selling