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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To escalate a complaint after finding fraudulent activity?

101 replies

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 20:50

Long story short, we're at the beginning stages of reserving a new build property and we have found our signatures have been forged on a legal document. We've highlighted this to site and head office as it doesn't sit right with us that this was done. We understand why, they forgot to ask for one of us to sign, but they should have phoned us to go back. The site have admitted it to us but offered a half hearted apology and had a go for escalating it to head office. We spoke to head office and although they apologised there were no suggestions of what steps would be put in place to prevent it happening again.

Now we have 2 dilemmas; we could take it further but I don't want the person to be sacked or anything but I'm not sure this has been taken seriously. Secondly, do we continue with the purchase? We would still have to deal with the person on a regular basis and there will undoubtedly be an atmosphere.

I suppose the AIBU is are we being unreasonable to continue with the purchase when we know this and even more so if we continue down an escalation route? Is it worth escalating or do we just leave it with the half hearted apologies? Thank you.

OP posts:

YoBeaches · 19/01/2023 20:54

In itself this demonstrates the type of company your dealing with. No I'm not sure I'd continue to buy a house from them.

There is no justification for their actions, what they did is illegal for a reason.

I'm not sure who the regulating body is for this type of sale but I would find out and phone them.

watchfulwishes · 19/01/2023 20:57

Are they a big company? This is quite strange behaviour.

I would not want to go through with the purchase myself.

Do you have a written apology? In which case they have admitted they did this?

HundredMilesAnHour · 19/01/2023 21:01

They forged one of your signatures on a legal document and when you found out, they had a go AT YOU for escalating to Head Office? They had a go at you?!! What is wrong with these idiots? They have no shame. Forging a signature on a legal document is a criminal offence.

I'd be taking legal advice immediately. I would refuse to deal with the people involved, and insist (if you want to go ahead still) that it's dealt with by Head Office.

Original poster

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:04

We've been given the names for the regulatory body but head office (naturally) were trying to sway us against that by saying it would just get passed back to them to sort out between us. Not sure how true that is.

Very big company, very popular, not sure there would be many people that wouldn't know them, and will have a tonne of lawyers behind them.

No written apology as of yet, that should come in a few days we were told from head office...

It's our dream house and it has taken us so long to find it. We would be gutted to walk away but I'm not sure we should continue now.

OP posts:

Theunamedcat · 19/01/2023 21:06

Umm no I would not continue with the purchase why would you give them your money who knows what they could sign on your behalf next

whirlyhead · 19/01/2023 21:06

If it’s Barratts I wouldn’t buy a property off them as it will probably slowly fall apart over 5 years!

CrikeyPeg · 19/01/2023 21:07

I wouldn't want to proceed with the purchase.

When we last built five years ago, I forwarded info from a third party to the building company. A week or so later an email came through from that third party re any follow up and I sent the email on the the build company. Within 10 minutes I had a phone call from one person assuring me they had sent info on to the build coordinator, then the other person phoned to say they had never received any info which was why they went with their preferred, usual supplier. This kind of set the scene for the rest of the build and it was a frustrating build. If we'd been able to, we would have canned the build the day that happened but we were too far down the track for that.

Original poster

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:13

Thanks, my husband will be seeking legal advice but I wouldn't want to go down that route if it ends in the person's dismissal so I'm not sure there are any other options.

I suppose I want to know it won't happen again and I want to continue to buy our forever house but it feels so tainted.

OP posts:

Original poster

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:14

Not Baratts but equally as big!

OP posts:

YoBeaches · 19/01/2023 21:28

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:13

Thanks, my husband will be seeking legal advice but I wouldn't want to go down that route if it ends in the person's dismissal so I'm not sure there are any other options.

I suppose I want to know it won't happen again and I want to continue to buy our forever house but it feels so tainted.

The regulating body have a duty to monitor the complaint and the company has to investigate and report back to them
On findings and outcomes. So the HO is pulling your leg to avoid the complaint. I would do it and include their comments about it in the complaint too.

I think you are being overly empathetic with your concerns about the person who did it. Sacked is exactly what they should be I'm afraid.....it's gross misconduct.

WeAreTheHeroes · 19/01/2023 21:32

If they've acknowledged a signature was forged, have you now actually signed the document? I can't believe the person hasn't been made to apologise to you and given additional training. I would use pulling out as leverage and be prepared to follow it through.

Merryoldgoat · 19/01/2023 21:32

Why wouldn’t you want someone dishonest removed from their job?

PerpetualFailure · 19/01/2023 21:37

You have raised it. Should scare them into not doing it again. You will not remember this incident after you move in; you will make.happy new memories.

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 19/01/2023 21:42

Did they forge it or copy and paste another signature of yours with the background removed?

That would sway my decision on where to take this.

Original poster

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:45

See that's what we weren't sure about. They basically said if we complain to an over arching body it just gets passed back to them anyway with a longer time line to resolve. But at this point I'm not sure what a resolution looks like.

I don't want them fired as I do believe this was done with the best of intentions and there's a cost of living crisis. I'd feel terrible but arguably thats not my problem and what's to say this wouldn't happen again. Hence the dilemma.

We haven't went back up to re-sign as we don't know if we want to continue with the purchase and have told them so. We also said we would seek legal advice and be in touch next week if we want to continue.

OP posts:

Original poster

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:50

Complete forged. My husband didn't sign a thing and both signatures dated days after we had been there.

OP posts:

Onnabugeisha · 19/01/2023 21:56

I’d walk away from the purchase. You can’t trust them after this.

YoBeaches · 19/01/2023 21:59

They are deliberately lying to you about the role of the regulator because they know how serious this is.

And you don't know why the individual did it. It could have been under duress from a senior team member, any investigation will validate that and help them, or, identify that they independently and knowingly committed fraud.

Which bearing in mind they are explicitly trained to NOT do.

You are over empathising with someone who has committed a crime against you.

You're perspective is thwarted. This needs reporting.

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 19/01/2023 22:29

Wherestherumgone · 19/01/2023 21:50

Complete forged. My husband didn't sign a thing and both signatures dated days after we had been there.

Yeah that's not on. If they c&p'd a signature from the doc and added it in where you missed one, that might be understandable and I'm tempted to do things like that myself all the time (I don't, but it would make my life easier if I could).

But complete forgery is not on.

Yabado · 19/01/2023 22:32

How would you feel if the signing of the document meant that you lost money or it was assumed that the signature meant you had agreed to buy the property and it’s your word against them.

as you said they have an army of lawyers
you have mumsnet 😂😂😂

Fuck them right off
at best a mistake with good intentions

at worse thick scheming lying incompetent assholes - I mean they must have known they would have been found out - so why do it

complain and take it all the way

Bigweekend · 19/01/2023 22:45

What do you want then?

You don't want them to actually do anything in respect of the staff member concerned, you don't want to pull out of the sale, but you feel they haven't done enough by apologising? What is it you want?

I'd pull out and I'd let HO and the regulatory body know why.

jackstini · 19/01/2023 22:54

The main issue is - do you still want the house?

If not - I would report it, it's not on

If you do - ask what they are willing to do to make up for the illegal activity of forging your signature

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 19/01/2023 23:01

Absolutely wouldn't proceed any further. You're lucky it happened at this stage of the process - imagine if it was further along once you were tied in!

Please say they've confirmed it happened in writing?? I think you'll be waiting a very long time for a written apology if one of their lawyers gets a single sniff of it - they'd have bloody kittens.

Take it to the regulator, let them decide what to do. It's literally their job.

I think you're being overly generous to whoever forged/caused the forgery. It's a criminal offence - they should have repercussions, it's not a small thing.

Original poster

Wherestherumgone · 20/01/2023 07:33

Thanks all. I suppose I am trying to justify it when really I shouldn't be.

You're right, I don't know what I want. I suppose I want my dream house and for it to go well now but this has put a spanner in the works and I'm not sure how we would feel if we escalate it further whilst carrying on with the purchase. I feel the options are;

Escalation and withdraw
Continue and forget it happened.

Nothing in writing yet just two admissions nce over the phone.

They aren't willing to do anything to make it up other than "ensure you have a pleasant journey from here on out". Not that I'm looking for anything monetary.

OP posts:

AngelDelightUK · 20/01/2023 07:39

How did you find out?

I don’t think I’d be continuing tbh

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