Solicitor lied to us

[Writemove]

We've had a few issues with our solicitor - sending duplicate paperwork, telling our estate agent we didn't exist because she 'got confused' (almost jeopardizing our offer).

We're now hoping to exchange soon. Whenever we chased she'd tell us that searches in our area took three weeks minimum and we'd have to be patient. She was quite firm with us and the ea.

We were being fobbed off again today (after leaving it two weeks) so we called the council. They said the searches were put in on the 11th (we were told the 5th by the solicitor) and they came back last week - the 25th (not the 7th March that the solicitor claimed). We emailed and said we weren't sure where to go from here and she said neither was she! But she has done her report.

Should we be worried? Why would she lie and what can we do? We just want to move.

It sounds as though maybe she's taken on too much work.
Does she work alone or as part of a bigger practice?

She works as part of a team. Her assistant had been dealing with our sale and she's been doing our purchase.

If she'd said she was busy this week we wouldn't have minded - and would have adjusted our expectations - but it's the lies that are frustrating.

It sounds to me like she is snowed under. she probably dictated them to be done on the 5th and time they were actually done and received by the council a few days has passed it is very sloppy though.

if you go with another firm them it will just cause delays but I would certainly raise an internal complaint- you should have got details of how to do this. her supervising partner should then intervene and you'll get better service - unless she's the senior partner@

Will they punish us by delaying further if we complain?
She knows we've caught her in a lie, should we hide our time or will complaining get us anywhere?

The frustrating thing is she was recommended by a friend!

I also meant to say thank you for your replies.

Could you phone her and discuss it with her rather than emailing. Maybe the Council has got it wrong themselves or that the Solicitor did put the applications in when she said but the Council didn't get to process them until the 11th and they were sent out on the 25th and the Solicitor should receive them by the 7th? Talking to her would possibly help to clear up the possible confusion. If she is the primary person dealing with your sale and purchase I would not want to rub her up the wrong way if it were me.

I agree I don't wan to get on her bad side. So far we've tried friendly chats, today was the first emails and it was good to get things in writing.

She definitely lied. This morning by phone she told us the searches would take until Friday. We phoned the council and they re-sent her the searches that they did last week by email today. We now have her report in record time.

Golly you are so laid back about this, I'd have been on to the senior partner immediately, spitting feathers! If she's not up to the job she shouldn't be doing it. You are clearly not getting the Rolls Royce service, more like Steptoe's. I would certainly dispute the bill when it arrives. Having bought and sold about a dozen houses in the last few years I have always been sent a feedback form with the bill from my solicitor. That should be interesting!

Complain to her manager that she is lying to you.

A feedback form does sound fun.

It's such a simple chain of two houses. I didn't realize I came across as laid back (not something I'm usually called!) I've only bought two houses before and always with a family friend as solicitor. I was spoilt.

Now I don't know what to expect. That's why I came here. As long as I'm not being unreasonable to expect to be told the truth then I will give her a call tomorrow. I just want rid of her now. Thanks so much for your help

I used to work in the land charges department of the local council. We'd frequently get people phoning up chasing results for searches their solicitors had claimed had been put in weeks before. Normally the solicitors had either
a) only just submitted the searches
b) not actually submitted the searches
c) not paid for a local authority search and used a search company

you are paying for this 'service'. She's incapable. Go to her boss. Put in a formal complaint and demand a big reduction on the bill.

it's admin. It's really not hard. If she is overloaded that may not be her fault, but it isn't your problem.

Thanks so much for all of the advice

I would question the service rather than say she is lying. You don't know that for sure. As a pp said, she might be telling you the date she dictated the searches, and the date on which the results landed on her desk. The Council might be telling you the day they were logged onto their system and the day they sent them back out.

But I would put it in writing that you are not happy with the service. Put it in an email or letter and ask for an explanation. She needs to know that she is not performing as you expect and that whilst you don't want to go to another firm, she needs to step it up. Keep a copy for your records if you do seek to query the bill / want to take it further in future.