The cheek of them. Hese's something that may be of interest from the ALDI.ie site
"Corporate Property....
We are actively seeking sites:...
We offer:
1.5% introductory commission to agents (terms and conditions apply); 50% on exchange, 50% on completion......"
ALDi are actively looking for sites. They pay the person who finds the site a commission of 1.5%. This is exactly the same type of senario as the OP described. I'd be dammned if I would pay their auctioneer anything in this case. In fact, I'd go further and go straight to the seller and tell them that I was not prepared to have anything further to do with their greedy auctioneer and would deal with them directly myself or not at all.
They want something particular that only you have. You are the only one that can supply it to them. Its not a generic good like a car where one is much the same as another. They need your particular piece of land and the sale cannot proceed without you.
Also you might consider going to another auctioneer and getting him to put it up for sale for you maybe by by auction. As you said there were no for sale notices on your property and no advertisements in the papers etc. Would it be be possible that someone else, other than the original purchaser, was not aware that your land was for sale and might make an offer that would cap the previously agreed price. Have you had an independent valuation carried out on your land. are you looking at the agricultural value or would you be in a position to know what the true market value if the land were put to a different use
I would imaging that at the very least this will result in the auctioneer getting a very sharp slap for being too greedy. Charging both the seller and the purchaser 1.5%. Nice work if you can get it, but then again when it comes to greed and auctioneers, they are inseperable.
Murt