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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WIBU to Facebook message this woman? House sale drama...

168 replies

AveAtqueVale · 22/02/2025 09:23

Will try to keep this as brief as possible:

We're due to move house on Monday. We were supposed to exchange on Thursday, but our buyer never transferred her money. She is on holiday abroad and when the estate agent chased her up, she was drunk. Money was never transferred, exchange never happened. On Friday morning EA/ solicitors started chasing her again, and there was radio silence until early afternoon her solicitor emailed ours to say she's unwell and won't be completing on Monday. No further info as to whether this means 'but she can probably manage on Tuesday' or 'is pulling out entirely'. She's refusing to speak to EAs, and has only spoken to her solicitor, who told ours that she was in hospital (!) and not making much sense.
Meanwhile, almost all of our stuff has been packed up and taken off in two moving vans, and we're camping in our empty house for the weekend.

Obviously EAs/ solicitors not working today and tomorrow, so we are stuck waiting for Monday morning to see if we have any more idea what's going on. I'm mostly hoping she was just horrendously hungover yesterday and couldn't face/ manage the money side of things, and all will actually be fine. But no idea.

We've spent a significant amount of money on the removers as they packed too, and they need their vans back by Tuesday evening at the latest. So if we haven't completed by then we will have to have it all brought back, but obviously will still owe them their full fee. Not to mention the absolute hassle of having to unpack everything here and remarket the house etc if she is pulling out entirely 😫. There's a whole chain above us too in the same position - she's the bottom/ cash buyer so we're all kind of at her mercy.

Anyway - I've found her on Facebook and am contemplating messaging her directly to ask her (nicely!) what is actually going on. She might not even see it of course as we're not friends, so it might go into message requests. But I'm also worried that doing it at all is a bit stalkerish/ bordering on harassment! But at this stage would just welcome any kind of info even if it's bad news!

YANBU: Message her - you might get some info and it's perfectly ok in the circumstances!

YABU: Leave the poor woman alone - she's obviously got a lot going on and doesn't need you hounding her as well!

Also if anyone has any other words of wisdom/ ideas, I'd love to hear them 🤦🏻‍♀️.

OP posts:
Weezypopsy · 24/02/2025 17:34

What happened, OP? Did you move? Hoping you have been quiet because you’re busy unpacking!

Flibberti · 24/02/2025 18:19

What happened in the end OP?

Xsunshinelollipopsx · 24/02/2025 20:11

AveAtqueVale · 22/02/2025 10:16

But yes thanks all, definitely not going to message her! Didn't really think I should but wanted a sense-check from people not emotionally involved!

How did it go?

AveAtqueVale · 24/02/2025 22:50

Brief update... she did in fact resurface and sent money to her solicitor today. We are (allegedly) all ready to exchange and complete tomorrow. Will believe it when I see it... Currently more worried about 7yo DS2 who I've packed off to A&E with DH because I'm worried he has appendicitis. I can't go with him because I'm ebf DS3 who's only four months. Hate not being there.

OP posts:
rhubarb007 · 24/02/2025 22:52

AveAtqueVale · 24/02/2025 22:50

Brief update... she did in fact resurface and sent money to her solicitor today. We are (allegedly) all ready to exchange and complete tomorrow. Will believe it when I see it... Currently more worried about 7yo DS2 who I've packed off to A&E with DH because I'm worried he has appendicitis. I can't go with him because I'm ebf DS3 who's only four months. Hate not being there.

Never rains but pours. Hopefully all this will be fixed tomorrow. Bad timing though 🙈

BestImitationOfMyself · 25/02/2025 05:59

Oh no, was checking to see if you had updated. Hope it was a false alarm with DS, but he's in the right place with his dad. Can anyone else jump in to help you today?

I'm surprised but really pleased to hear your other news as thought it unlikely from her previous actions. Hope all goes more smoothly today.

angela1952 · 25/02/2025 08:02

The best of luck to you @AveAtqueVale , hope your son isn't as ill as you fear and that everything goes through OK today.

AveAtqueVale · 25/02/2025 13:42

Better update: DS2 does not have appendicitis 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 AND we have completed 🎉. Turns out buyer wasn't ill, she just had a massive wobble when she found out the stamp tax was massively more than she'd thought, as she'd been expecting to qualify for the first time buyer discount, but had previously inherited a property so didn't. But decided to get plastered and go silent rather than explaining/ asking for more time etc. 🤯

OP posts:
Xsunshinelollipopsx · 25/02/2025 13:48

Thank goodness all has worked out 🩷

angela1952 · 25/02/2025 13:59

Congratulations, I'm very pleased for you all.

LardoBurrows · 25/02/2025 14:12

Woo Hoo! Fantastic news about your DS and completing on your house sale.

Congratulations and Good Luck with your move and the new house.

Caroparo52 · 25/02/2025 14:15

Oh no... what a nightmare. I would accept that despite best efforts this will end in tears. Don't get personally involved. That's why our house selling system has to be improved legally

BewaretheJabberwock · 25/02/2025 15:00

Caroparo52 · 25/02/2025 14:15

Oh no... what a nightmare. I would accept that despite best efforts this will end in tears. Don't get personally involved. That's why our house selling system has to be improved legally

Why would it end in tears? OP has exchanged and completed.

uglyjessie · 25/02/2025 16:38

Fucking hell

How do you get that far into the sale before you realise the costs?

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 25/02/2025 16:46

Woohoo! That's great news about completing and - more importantly - that your son is okay (well hopefully he is).
Good luck with getting everything unpacked and settling into your new home.
Your buyer's conveyancing folks dropped the ball by not making sure she was clear about all the expenses needed.

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 25/02/2025 16:48

uglyjessie · 25/02/2025 16:38

Fucking hell

How do you get that far into the sale before you realise the costs?

The conveyancing folks should have made all that clear a long time before last week. We've had all that set out each time we've moved, in the initial contract.

ButIToldYouSoooo · 25/02/2025 20:44

Oh wow! How could she not know how much stamp duty would be?

Glad it was sorted in the end.

Toooldtorave · 25/02/2025 21:25

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 25/02/2025 16:46

Woohoo! That's great news about completing and - more importantly - that your son is okay (well hopefully he is).
Good luck with getting everything unpacked and settling into your new home.
Your buyer's conveyancing folks dropped the ball by not making sure she was clear about all the expenses needed.

We send an sdlt draft return and ask buyers to sign it to confirm it’s right. And set out the sdlt due. You’d be surprised at how many people sign docs and don’t bother to read them (and also sign statements to confirm they have read and understood, despite doing neither of these things). 🤷

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