He was also asked:

A man purchased a property for a specified price and paid it in the presence of the witnesses to the deed of sale. The deed was authenticated and upheld by the four Muslim judges. Subsequently, someone other than the seller established a rightful claim to the purchased property under Islamic law and dispossessed the buyer of what he had purchased. At that time, the seller was absent, beyond the distance permitting the shortening of prayers, but had property and funds locally. In these circumstances, if the aforementioned buyer asks the judge in his town to award him judgment against the absent seller for an amount equal to the sale price that the seller received from him, should the judge grant his request?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. Yes. If the property sold proves to belong rightfully to someone else, the buyer is entitled to recover the price, or its equivalent, from the person who received it from him. If that person is absent, judgment is to be entered against him once the evidence has been established, and the successful claimant is to receive his due from the absent person’s assets, while the absent person retains his right to present his case. And Allah knows best.