I put in an offer to buy a house and was told by the vendor that I would be given first refusal. Although I suggested she should take advice, she later confirmed our agreement and the price, so I forwarded the agreed deposit and signed the contract document. She later reneged on the agreement and sold the house to someone else. Do I have a case against the vendor for compensation?
Unless the woman also signed the contract you don’t have a case. A contract to buy land (including houses etc) is different from a contract to buy or sell almost anything else in that it must be in writing and must be signed by both the seller and the buyer: verbal, or oral, contracts don’t count for anything. You are entitled to your deposit back of course, but that’s all.