If a buyer in a specific performance contract puts down a $5000 deposit and defaults, and sellers prove damages of $10,000, how much must the buyer pay the sellers?

In a specific performance contract, if a buyer defaults after placing a deposit, the seller can seek damages resulting from the default. In this scenario, the buyer has put down a $5,000 deposit but, upon default, the sellers have demonstrated they incurred damages of $10,000.

The principle here is that the sellers are not limited to just the amount of the deposit when it comes to pursuing damages. Instead, they are entitled to recover the actual damages they incurred because of the buyer’s default. Since the sellers have proved damages of $10,000, they are entitled to that full amount.

When a deposit is made, it may serve as a form of security or earnest money, but it does not limit the sellers' right to claim additional damages that exceed the deposit. In this case, the sellers would be able to claim the total amount of their damages, which is $10,000. Thus, the amount the buyer must pay to the sellers is the total damages as demonstrated, leading to the conclusion that the buyer must pay $10,000 in this situation.