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Original poster

Buyer's sloth like solicitor

24 replies

drcrab · 08/11/2011 21:54

Chain complete and everything written down re fixtures fittings etc. Sent pack back to solicitors etc. Then get a call from EA saying my buyers solicitors haven't heard from mine. So I got in touch with my solicitors and they send me evidence that say that they were in fact in touch with them 2 weeks ago but hadn't heard back. So anyway they send another email, got a read receipt but nothing more. This was 1.5 weeks ago.

So today my solicitor forwards me an email from other party saying that they (other people) were waiting for the land searches. WTF? Apparently they take 48 hrs in our partof the country. So my solicitors write another email saying WtF are you saying we are really concerned? And again no reply.

Any thoughts? They sound utterly incompetent! If I was this unable to meet deadlines in my line of work, I'd be sacked! :(

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Primafacie · 08/11/2011 22:12

Ah, that is annoying. Do you have a direct line of communication with your buyer? If so, I would contact them directly (cut the EA as middle man) and ask them to put pressure on their solicitor. Also call your solicitor, explain you are in a hurry to complete and you want her/him to chase buyers' solicitor daily. It should be spelt out to the buyers' solicitors that this is an urgent matter. Give them a tentative completion date (eg 28 November) and ask them if they see any problem with that date in principle - if so why? Don't be afraid to be a bit pushy.

I am trying to complete too, and I am on the phone every day with EAs, buyer/seller, solicitor, surveyor to get the chain to move. Fingers tightly crossed...

emsyj · 08/11/2011 22:28

We were the final link in our chain when we bought this house and we asked our solicitor to do a go-slow on purpose because we were relocating 250 miles and we needed a bit of time to sort ourselves out. We had no intention of backing out, we just needed a bit of time to plan the move.

Could it be something innocent like this?

Original poster
drcrab · 08/11/2011 22:29

Funny. We did give the 28th nov as completion date!! And everyone agreed to work to that. I don't have access to my buyer (how do I get that???). Just gave my EA an earful this evenings about the lack of communication and wrong info. Can I call those sloth solicitors?

Have just emailed the EA telling her to tell my buyer and solicitors to get a move on and that I will not be paying for any extra emails and letter that my solicitors had to send as a result of their incompetencies.

Why do we have to spend our day ringing round these people?? I'm busy at work the whole day (yesterday I was at work but probably spent under an hour at my desk, today same thing)??!!! Why oh why? SadSadSad

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Original poster
drcrab · 08/11/2011 22:31

I don't think it's a go slow on purpose. Not when we all agreed on that date (via EA and solicitors)
She's a cash buyer so mortgage needed. Seems straightforward and v amenable thus far?!!!

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Original poster
drcrab · 08/11/2011 22:34

Sorry no mortgage needed.

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emsyj · 08/11/2011 22:36

I don't think that your buyer's solicitor will speak to you if you call as (s)he isn't supposed to speak to you directly as you have a solicitor yourself. Bit hazy on the rules, but essentially as a (non-conveyancing by the way!!!) solicitor, I cannot call another party who has legal representation. You could contact the buyer herself if you wanted to, but why not just ask your own solicitor to call the buyer's solicitor and ask him/her directly what is going on?

Original poster
drcrab · 08/11/2011 22:42

She has (called/emailed/dx)! First time on the 12th Oct, got no reply. 2 weeks later I hear from my EA that my buyer wondered why she'd not heard anything. I ask mine. She immediately gets in touch and gives me a copy of the original letter which was dated the 12 (by then this was the 24th). Think she got a read reply and I hear from my EA that they've received the pack of paper

Today another email from mine saying 'oi haven't heard from you we're concerned'. They write back saying we still waiting for land searches????? And that's where we are at. Sad

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emsyj · 08/11/2011 22:55

It's so unprofessional not to return calls - your solicitor needs to call every hour on the hour until the buyer's solicitor is shamed into taking the call.

If anyone leaves a telephone message or sends an e-mail to me, I always respond that day - even if only to say 'nothing's changed and I've got nothing to tell you'. It's just basic courtesy. I feel your pain.

Original poster
drcrab · 08/11/2011 23:06

Quite. V unprofessional isn't it? I want to report them. I would have thought the easy bit is replying with a quick 'oh still waiting' rather than have people chase and chase.

I am pretty prompt in my replies and I always reply even if it's a face to face (yes i got your email will reply end if week when ive got time) sort of thing or a text or something.

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Primafacie · 08/11/2011 23:15

I would ask the EA for the buyer's details.

Unfortunately it is not your solicitor's fault that the other side are dragging their feet, so threatening not to pay for calls and emails is unlikely to achieve results as theses costs won't be passed on to the buyer.

As a general rule phone calls are more difficult to ignore than emails, so ask your sols to call the buyer's and ask for an update and likely timeline to comletion (which can then be put in writing).

Have they done their survey? If not, why not? If yes, and all that is left is the searches, you could still complete by the end of the month.

You could ask them for a deposit to show their intent to buy and complete within the agreed timeframe. Just a thought...

Primafacie · 08/11/2011 23:16

*completion

Original poster
drcrab · 08/11/2011 23:21

Survey all done (way before mine!). So nothing stopping these sloths really except oh their sloth like behavior?! Land searches are 'waiting'. I guess the reason why I'm irate is because my solicitors say that it takes 2 days here Ie not a long time at all. Even the ea conceded itll take max a week. And if they've had the paperwork for at least 2 weeks if not 3.5 weeks then WTF have they been doing??!!!

What happens between exchange and completion?? Why does it take 2 weeks?

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cowboylover · 09/11/2011 00:09

I don't think it needs to be 2 weeks between exchange and completion but it's usual if there are a number of people in the chain so they have time to confirm/prepare moving arrangements.

My last purchase we (I'm 99%) exchanged and completed on the same day as the house was vacant.

Hope all goes well and they hurry up for you

Original poster
drcrab · 09/11/2011 09:36

thanks for that. well just got on the phone with EA - who says she'll chase the solicitor today/this morning. I'm going to do the call on the hour every hour until something happens.

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Original poster
drcrab · 09/11/2011 10:24

ok - the EA has rung back and told me that the solicitors say that they use a method of land searches by sending a person down directly to the land registry (!?). apparently this makes it faster (!?). Hmm clearly it's not faster. They confirm that this person was sent down on the 4th of November (even then - still late)... it's 5 days since....... ARGH!

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cleas · 09/11/2011 10:33

I had this recently. No chain. Should have been over quickly. But it dragged on and on... My solicitor tried over and over to get dates out of the buyers solicitor but they either avoided replying or said they were having trouble getting hold of the buyer because of his job (?) then came back with ridiculously daft questions at a late stage about non existent extensions and planning permission. I was just afraid he was still looking at other properties and could pull out at any minute.
We got there on the end. Turns out he was buying it as an investment and wanted to drag it out as long as he could as he was trying to find a tenant to move in as soon as it completed so that he wasn't paying for an empty house Angry

Original poster
drcrab · 09/11/2011 10:40

oh cleas... did you complain about their solicitor? How did you get there in the end? I'm thinking I'm never going to get there! :(

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Chestnutx3 · 09/11/2011 10:50

Completely normal experience I'm afraid. Kick the EA is the best route unless you have friendly buyers. Kick EA very hard, say you are questioning whether this is going to happen and say you are thinking of alternatives - don't explain yourself, just keep vague. The EA does not want to lose his commission.

One week is normal between exchange and completion you can do it on the same day but I know somebody where one of the chain pulled out on the day and the removal men had to put all their stuff back into their house - so not something I would do but know lots that have done it.

Original poster
drcrab · 09/11/2011 10:59

should I be annoying about it then? I've already shouted at them (the EA) (literally) - spoke with them nicely this morning. At the last phone call when she gave me the update I said 'so what do I do now?' and she said 'leave it with me'. Should I ring and ring and ring?

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cleas · 09/11/2011 11:28

drcrab It seems the estate agent was well aware of what was happening Angry in fact, as the property was empty I had given the keys to the ea to make viewings easier for them. It also came in handy for conducting viewings on a letting basis as they were also acting as a letting agent for the buyer! I had no idea...
Let's just say I won't be so trusting next time!

Original poster
drcrab · 09/11/2011 11:53

cleas - that's a bugger!!!! glad it all worked out in the end. I hate all this...

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cleas · 09/11/2011 12:02

Good luck anyway. Hope you get some sense out of people soon. It's really not fun moving house!

Original poster
drcrab · 09/11/2011 21:00

GOOD NEWS!! :) apparently the elusive land searches have come back and they are 'favourable'!! they say that they are going to send it to my buyers and get her signature and then we're ready to roll! lets just hope somehow it doesn't disappear from their offices up north to London.... Hmm

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Primafacie · 09/11/2011 22:23

Hurrah, you must be relieved! Good luck on the way to completion.

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