Can the civil code refund the deposit for buying a house because of the epidemic?

Because of the epidemic, the deposit for buying a house cannot be refunded, because the epidemic is a force majeure event and does not belong to one party's breach of contract. The penalty for the deposit is stipulated as follows: If the party receiving the deposit fails to perform the debt or the performance of the debt does not conform to the agreement, so that the purpose of the contract cannot be achieved, the deposit shall be returned twice.

legal ground

Article 587 of the Civil Code

If the debtor performs the debt, the deposit shall be used as the price or recovered. If the party paying the deposit fails to perform the debt or the performance of the debt is not in conformity with the agreement, thus the purpose of the contract cannot be achieved, it has no right to request the return of the deposit; If the party receiving the deposit fails to perform the debt or the performance of the debt does not conform to the agreement, so that the purpose of the contract cannot be achieved, the deposit shall be returned twice.

Article 563 1

In any of the following circumstances, the parties may terminate the contract:

(a) the purpose of the contract cannot be achieved due to force majeure;

(two) before the expiration of the time limit for performance, one party clearly indicated or indicated by his own behavior that he would not perform the main debt;

(three) one party delays the performance of the main debt and fails to perform it within a reasonable period after being urged;

(4) One of the parties delays the performance of debts or commits other breach of contract, which makes it impossible to achieve the purpose of the contract;

(5) Other circumstances stipulated by law.