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Original poster

Completed - seller still has set of keys WTF?

52 replies

rumbelina · 23/02/2015 09:47

Completed on a house on Friday. EA rang for us to collect keys and said the seller had left a radio and some timer plugs at the house, could we leave them in the garage and the seller still has a set of keys so he'll pick them up and drop the keys through letter box over the weekend.

I said ERRR NO I will bring the stuff to EA and he has to drop the keys off with them or at the house over the weekend. He lives in a different city so I don't mind being semi reasonable.

Rang solicitor who gave notice to his solicitor to drop keys off by the end of Sunday. This morning - no keys.

I'm just waiting for EA to get back to me as to whether he's dropped them off there but I doubt it as they'd have rung me at the weekend.

What do we do??? I don't think there's anything dodgy, he's just a dozy twat that won't listen to anyone as he believes everyone is inferior to him.

The solicitor gave notice that if he hadn't dropped them off then we'd change the locks and he'd be billed. But I don't want to go down this road as I don't believe we'd ever get the money.

He's been a cock the whole way through and we're still not rid of him. ARGH.

OP posts:

wowfudge · 23/02/2015 11:22

Just change the locks and forget about getting the vendor to pay. If he hasn't set up mail forwarding btw, don't get into taking his mail to the EA or keeping it for him until he comes round collect. Return it all to sender or he'll never get round to sorting it out and it will be another excuse to drop round.

ReallyTired · 23/02/2015 11:23

Sorry forget my stupid post. The OP is able to get into the house.

The seller is in breech of contract in that he has not handed over the keys. The OP can choose to sue him. However if she has been able to get into the house she has been able to use the property.

wowfudge · 23/02/2015 11:27

ReallyTired - that's an OTT response. For one's own protection and peace of mind you should change the locks on any new home you buy. You wouldn't bill a diligent vendor who has given you every last key when you change the locks so you shouldn't bill the vendor who has forgotten a set of keys - completely unreasonable. As if moving isn't stressful enough for all concerned as it it.

We changed our door locks on the day we moved in for about £40 and I replaced all the window locks as there were no keys for about another £30. I see it as a cost of moving house.

wowfudge · 23/02/2015 11:27

X post with you ReallyTired

mummytime · 23/02/2015 11:57

I'd get the locks changed and improved to Banham type locks - much more secure, and might reduce your insurance premiums.

flowery · 23/02/2015 12:12

Don't think anyone suggested "sending round the heavy gang".

Changing locks is a perfectly normal part of moving house, and shouldn't in most cases cost very much at all anyway. Billing the previous owner without their agreement to pay, and then pursuing writing the necessary letters and then process for a CCJ is way over the top imo and a pointless waste of time.

sanfairyanne · 23/02/2015 12:22

just change the locks

why all this talk of billing him and ccjs?
you have no idea who has keys to your property,above and beyond the former owner, so you change the locks, like everyone else does

MooMaid · 23/02/2015 12:54

Agree with PP's. You just change the locks anyway and move on with things in your new home, forget about pursuing him for money - I bet it'll impact your time more than his!

GatoradeMeBitch · 23/02/2015 14:15

OP - I bought new anti-bump locks from Homebase for about £8.99 each. It's not a big deal. There are videos on YouTube showing you how to swap them over, it takes literally two minutes.

TheUnwillingNarcheska · 23/02/2015 14:21

For all you know his mother, the builder who did some work at some point and a neighbour etc may have keys. So this isn't about one set of keys, you really have no idea who has a key to your house.

Just change the locks. We did it when we moved but we also did it again when the whole euro locks and barrel snapping was on the increase. We had to change 5 external doors to the high security ABS locks here

Suck up the cost. Reading the horror stories on here about houses people have bought and things taken, and stuff being left paying out for a set of keys is nothing. I had to pay £700 for a new hot water tank (and fitting) and the owners knew about it before we completed and told me the day we collected the keys! Grrr.

New locks? I think you got off lightly.

christinarossetti · 23/02/2015 15:07

If the vendor has been a pita throughout, then honestly, just change the locks, be thankful this is the extent of the hassle and end of your contact with him and enjoy your new house.

kittentwo · 23/02/2015 15:57

We moved a month ago we picked up one set of key from each and the vendor dropped some in over the following weekend not a problem to us at all.

kittentwo · 23/02/2015 16:00

Not each should say estate agents.

Marmitelover55 · 23/02/2015 17:06

Change the locks - you should read "A Pleasure and a Calling" by Phil Hogan....

fromparistoberlin73 · 23/02/2015 17:08

change.the.locks

Original poster

rumbelina · 23/02/2015 22:28

We did have some keys but eg only one for a certain door so we wanted all the sets on the completion day - he got his money, we were keys short.

The reason there is talk of billing him (and no I wouldn't issue a ccj, I was frustrated and irritated when I wrote that, as if) is because on Friday the solicitor served notice to him that if he hadn't dropped off the keys by Sunday night then we would change the locks and he would be billed for it. He doesn't listen to anyone ever so the threat of having to pay was supposed to work - it didn't though!

I am a total novice to 'changing the locks' and have now discovered how cheap and easy it is over the course of today thanks to you lot, YouTube and Wilkos :)

We got the keys today and he got his stuff back and we'll fit new locks and much as I would love to annoy him I won't take him to court for the money. All good.

OP posts:

Original poster

rumbelina · 23/02/2015 22:32

theunwilling that's really bad they didn't tell you.

The dishwasher keeps blowing the circuit and we can't get the thermostat to link up with the receiver but everything else seems in order.

OP posts:

Elliptic5 · 23/02/2015 22:39

The very first house I bought was when I was 19, I found out the vendor had kept a set of keys and when the solicitor asked her to return them she said she thought she might need to pop back - after I'd moved in . Eventually she very reluctantly gave them back.
I was very naive and didn't think about changing the locks.

Bowlersarm · 23/02/2015 22:40

When I worked in as an Estate Agent, oh ages ago now, we had a really overpriced house we were trying to sell on multiple agency. Hadn't managed to get a viewing on it for a month or so.

New person into the office worked hard and got a viewing, showed a couple round 9.00ish one Saturday morning. All piled into master bedroom where they stood blinking in surprise at a couple they woke up in bed. They were the new owners who had bought it through another agency and had actually moved in. The original owners had it on with a few agents and had forgotten to tell us it had sold.

Always change the locks, you don't know who has keys, cleaners, neighbours, teenage children, elderly parents. Estate agents!

MadameJulienBaptiste · 23/02/2015 22:53

A few years back we bought a doer upper which we weren't moving in to straight away. THANK GOODNESS.

Because the seller who had been unreasonable every step of the way, left two double wardrobes and a dressing table in the bedroom. (small one bedroom cottage).
You know when you get the phone call saying completion done and you can pick up the keys? Oh and by the way Mr tWat has kept a set back as he didn't have time to get the wardrobes out and would be doing that in a couple of days.

We got the one set, changed the front locks that day, then rang the solicitor back (online diy estate agency so no proper ea involved unfortunately) to say the wardrobes were now our property but he could get them by prior appointment.
Pre-Kids so we camped there that night to celebrate.

8 am the next morning the twunt was trying his key in the front lock then climbed over the gate and let himself in the kitchen!!
ranting at us stealing his furniture.....

Original poster

rumbelina · 24/02/2015 06:55

When I bought my first house years ago the sellers asked me if they could stay on a day after completion as their timings were out. I said yeah no problem as I was in no rush and they were nice. Mentioned it to solicitor who went apeshit and told them they had to leave on completion day, and gave me a bollocking

OP posts:

PrimalLass · 24/02/2015 12:48

Friday the solicitor served notice to him that if he hadn't dropped off the keys by Sunday night then we would change the locks and he would be billed for it.

But he could have ten sets of keys and you would never know.

PreschoolHell · 24/02/2015 12:56

We had a vendor that didn't move out. Or rather, he started packing about 2 hours before he had to hand the keys over - and he/family had been living in the house for 60 years. Took him and his son 3 days to clear it. Unfortunately we couldn't delay the electrician and builder we had booked to strip and renovate the place so he had to pack while we were knocking walls down and removing all the lights...

I had a 5 week old baby at this point and was living with my MIL. I remember severely losing the plot with EVERTHING when solicitor told us he hasn't moved out...

Cobain · 24/02/2015 13:34

This thread has just reminded me that have a set of keys for next door and they moved in before christmas. Previous owner was an old lady with memory problems, will pop them over tonight. You have no idea how old the locks are or how many sets cuts I have always had new locks when moving to a new house.

Amethyst24 · 24/02/2015 13:45

I sold my flat last August and realised a few weeks ago that I still have a key. Too embarrassed to return it now and anyway the buyer was a bit of a cockwomble.

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