Giving back a deposit?

We sold a manufactured home that was to be moved by a certain date per the ad we posted. We made a simple contract and accepted a 1k deposit. The buyer gave me in writing that he would move it asap, work to be done, etc. At that time he was also informed that it must be moved by the date agreed or we'd face fines. Two months later, he has made no further payments and not moved the home. In the meantime, we've had assessor and moving fines totaling over $2000 that we cannot recoop. We paid the fees and informed the buyer in writing he would have to pay us by a certain date or forfeit and not receive his deposit back. He did nothing but make promises. We took a loss and sold to someone else. The buyer is now threatening to sue us for a full refund. Any advice?

3 months ago - 3 answers