Their Solicitor f***** up

[MrsGRamsay]

Long story short. We're selling our flat.

Accepted first offer over three months ago and provided everything requested by buyer's Solicitor. For some reason, in these times, everything takes ages however, once Buyer was eventually able to book, Survey and valuation sailed through and we were meant to exchange and complete this coming Friday. Last Friday, Buyer's Solicitor realises they should have raised a point in the lease to mortgage provider and everything gone tits up till provider happy to continue to endorse mortgage terms. Buyer will be homeless next week and we've lost money (Hair, aged considerably) a lot of wasted time, and potentially our next house. We don't want to re-market and am sticking with potential buyer for the moment because not their fault.

My question is, does any MNers have any advice to get some compensation from their Solicitor's for the fuck up?

There is no question of lack of transparency on our part, they've had all documentation requested for over three months and have repeatedly assured everything required from us had been received - we have email trail with our Solicitor plus any other evidence one could think of.

It literally is a case of lazy, shoddy conveyancing practice; I assume senior partner reviewed paperwork and pointed out to junior Solicitor "you ticked no there but isn't it yes?"

So fucked off.

P.s asked both Solicitors about when exchange date was and they both came back happy with that practice - I've never heard of exchange and completion being on same date.

[MrsGRamsay]

Thank you @claireb7rg and

[MrsGRamsay]

Sorry, sl

[MrsGRamsay]

Eek. Need to go bed re all the sloppy posts.

Thanks for clarification @claireb7rg and @MinnieMoutain. Will definitely argue the toss re completion day when we (hopefully) buy next place. I'm sure they'll be amenable too - I assume remove company prices go up considerably if you want to move in / out on a Friday.

Never really thought about it apart from first flat where I moved into just before Christmas! Didn't need removal company because had bugger all (mouldy futon) and friends helped. Happily paid over the odds to have brand new washing machine installed (because stuck to Friday completion) I'd promised myself that after paying rent to live in shit holes (the wonderful '80's'.

Seller left mouldy under (non existant) counter fridge but no other appliances.

I bought a second hand cooker post Christmas.

[Sophiesdog2020]

We completed sale of late mums house on a Monday. The buyers solicitors were telling mine that they were ready weeks before they were, so we had cleared the big stuff out with plenty of time, but they then gave us minimal notice when finally ready. It was a chain of 3, their buyers were FTB, we obvs had no upward chain.

They were pushing for completion on the Friday, but only told us they were ready on the Tuesday.

I live 2hrs away and wanted to do a final clear out/thank neighbours, and was going away Thursday and Friday, so told my solicitor if we could exchange by Weds lunch, I would go across that afternoon, if not I couldn’t go until Saturday so completion would be Monday.

She agreed, they didn’t make the Weds lunch deadline.

Driving to my break on the Thursday I got a call from the Estate agent.

Bearing in mind we were paying her, not the buyers, she was extremely aggressively pushing me for exchange and completion on the Friday. She actually said they could “put your mums remaining belongings in the garage” - err no they couldn’t, how about a bit of compassion for a bereaved family.

The annoying thing was, the buyers weren’t moving straight in but having renovations done first. I had also heard from neighbours that buyers and their builder had been in/around house without our permission (so had to be with EA key). I didn’t say anything, as house was all but empty then and we were close to the end but it didn’t exactly endear me to buyers or EA.

I stuck to my guns, we exchanged Friday (but quite late, I got the call from solicitor about 6pm), completed Monday with me doing the clear out on the Saturday.

Hope you get a completion date and removers sorted soon Op. There is a reason we have stayed put for 23 years!