“don’t the rabbonim doing the sale with the goy make the transaction legally binding under the local/national laws?”
Yes, and there is no question he halachicly owes me the money, and while I’m no lawyer I believe legally as well, exactly as you say.
My concern is twofold.
1) If lemaisah in such a situation I in all likelihood will not collect the money, doesnt that make the mechira appear to be a harama
Admittedly this is a far fetched scenario so it might not actually be a problem. And secondly maybe I’m wrong and a the Rav who facilitates the mechira would say absolutly go to beis din/court and get him to pay for HIS chometz that got destroyed. Somehow I doubt it,
2) Based on the above, it might be an issue of taking achriyus over his chometz given that there will be such a headache if it gets destoyed I’d be worried and perhaps even protective of his chometz.
Again, I’m not sure what would happen,
I guess my question is simply:
What do you think would happen after Pesach I want to get paid for the chometz I sold and that got destroyed. Do you think the Rav would tell me to go sue the goy for the money he owes me?