land owner backed out, now what?

[Sean H.]

So, i had a handshake deal with a nearby property owner to buy a piece of his land, then i go through with the subdivision and recombination and now he has backed out while im still waiting for the subdivision. He was unwilling to do an earnest money down payment and he only wanted all the money when he was done. Ive been waiting over a month for this subdivision, and have already sunk money into it. Is there anything i can do legally? I know handshake deals hold up to some legitimacy....