Buyer Damages Home Then Backs Out

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Dear Monty: On the morning of closing, the buyer did the final walk-through. Then his agent called, asking about the water valve replaced years earlier.

They used this incident to extort 500 dollars from my agent. I wasn’t talking with this buyer. The sale of my house was contingent on him selling his home. While at the house doing the final walk-through, the buyer tore into the drywall, opening a hole five or six times the original size in order to do their fact-finding investigation. The buyer no-showed at the closing, and my deal died. I go to the house, and the wall is a mess. Their agent states that their buyer says they didn’t do anything. The night before, I checked the place out, and there was no damage. I should receive the $500, and I can’t believe a licensed agent would play so dumb and not act responsibly. I refused to sign the termination and release form (T&R) due to damage, and nobody accepted responsibility. Am I on solid ground?