WDYD when you've completed and vendors are still in?

[Lemonwords]

So we've finally completed on our property. We're waiting to get the keys but vendors are saying there is an issue with their removal service and can't move out today. Solicitor says they have to. They say they can't. Literally what do you do?

As you say OP, honesty would have been better for all, but you sound as daft as me - trust in people and get kicked in the teeth!!

They sound like utter chancers and I'd take anything they say with a huge pinch of salt.

Let's hope they are no longer in your life by lunchtime. Good luck!

I don't think the OP was getting £1000 a day from them but they did pay her upfront.
I hope they leave you a bunch of flowers and some wine

Good luck Lemonwords, hope they're gone by lunch.

Good news :)

Although, I suspect, not the result some posters were hoping for!

An apology isnt enough really, their behaviour was shocking .

I can't believe that their solicitor told them this was a reasonable plan .

BTW the vendors of my last house did something similar to someone else .

They put their house on the market because they had bought a new build. Agreed an entry date with the purchasers( not me ) and concluded missives ( Scottish system ) .

Then the builder said the house wouldnt be ready for another 6 weeks, so they tried to get the purchasers to change the entry date at the last minute. This wasn't possible as they had agreed to sell theirs for the original date .

So they pulled out of the deal and had to pay costs to the prospective purchasers . Put the house back on the market but needed to sell it very quickly , within a few weeks.

That's when I came along and offered then a lower price than they had sold it for before. They kept saying " ah but it's worth £X, that's what the last people offered . "

To which my solicitor said " it's worth what someone will pay, you want an entry date for 3 weeks, take it or leave it " .

They accepted my offer, with a date three weeks ahead. Then came back to me a few days before and asked me to extend . I was able to do it because I was in rented property and was planning to stay there while I did it up.

They were fools - they had to pay their own legal costs twice, the first purchasers costs AND they got less for their house . When they could have been honest, arranged a short term let and paid storage and removal costs and got the higher price for their house .

What utter chancers they are. They have taken advantage of you in an appallingly underhand way. And lied. And you were sympathetic towards them OP. There is no way in your shoes I would just let them carry on as they please. I'd be making sure I was there are they were being moved.

I forgot to add that when I finally got the keys , I discovered that the garage was still FULL of their belongings. They said " we thought you wouldn't mind if we stored some things there for a few weeks. We didn't think you'd be using it as most people leave their car in the driveway "

Looking great. One last quick line to say they've gone. Google luck.

Hugely apologetic my foot.
They were buying time over the weekend hoping you'd give them a week so they didn't need the let. You solicitor should be bollocking theirs big time as he clearly knew the situation. You are also entitled to compensation and may have grounds for a formal complaint with the law society.

Kr1stina - I hope you chucked the stuff in the garage away!
If I'm coming across as bitter, it's because I probably am a little.
Our vendor left behind bags and bags of junk and tried to persuade us to let him keep a copy of the keys so that he could collect it when he got back from holiday a few weeks later.

We said no and changed the locks immediately in case he had kept back a set.

They left the garage full of stuff? Did you tell them to get it out and is it now gone ?

Agree their solicitor let them complete knowing they wouldn't move out, you should be getting some recompense from somewhere

I'm not sure there is any point in complaining about their solicitor. He might not have been aware that they were planning on staying the weekend. He would have known they couldn't move into their new place, but they might have told him they were going into storage /hotel during the hiatus.
However the OP solicitor has been useless

I'm that anyone would think it was acceptable to complete on a house sale and then just stay in it until their purchase was ready. If you want to do that, you tie the purchase and sale together and accept that the chain makes you less attractive sellers.

They don't have sob story and having small children makes no difference; they're just utter chancers. I bet they take the bloody light bulbs and leave loads of shite.

Well they were completely in the wrong but TBH in their position I'd have just delayed the completion day. It's not like you were going to pull out with a week to go. It would be your problem then about the builders.
Given they didn't do this though, they should have moved out properly.

I was once on the other side of this situation. I got gazumped the day before exchange. we were actually buying two properties out of the proceeds of one and one property they weren't going to wait. Our buyers were amazingly nice offered to let us stay on after completion (yes a real no no but we'd bonded over months of delays and the estate agent from hell). Fortunately it never came to that as I found a no chain property and completed to the original schedule ....goodness knows how ,my solicitor was a star. There's no way on this planet I would have behaved as these oils have though.

Oiks

I don't really get all the agro on this thread . Yes, they have been dishonest and should have highlighted this at an earlier stage when the completion date could have been changed. But they were probably, like most people, overwhelmed, stressed and worried they'd lose the sale. Yes, they should have left their stuff and gone but we're probably worried the OP may take it all to the tip, as some PP suggested. Clearly some people feel that is acceptable behaviour.

OP, FWIW I think you did the right thing. The human, kind thing. All the passive aggressive or down right aggressive suggestions here would have got you nowhere and nothing but trouble. Hopefully it will all be sorted shortly.

The fact they live in a holiday area with plentiful holiday lets makes this so much worse in my mind. Pack van put in storage go to caravan or holiday home, no stress for anyone and probably cost less than the costs they will ultimately be paying for. Utter idiots.

I disagree. They knew they would have a problem - new builds are always late anyway - but they ignored it, pushing it on to the op. They could have arranged storage and hotel - but they didn't. So all the cost and hassle goes to the op, who they have treated like a little person who doesn't matter.

They are.arrogant and selfish.

Stevie why should they have left their stuff? They sold the house with vacant possession ......that means empty.
Every town has storage facilities meant for exactly this purpose.

Remember they will have known about this delay for weeks.

You're right Stevie the OP should be happy giving a total stranger thousands of pounds (probably hundreds of thousands) of her money , that she's paying to borrow for a property that she can't actually get into.
What on earth is she thinking, expecting to take vacant possession of a property that contractually should have been empty. No need to worry, just let the current occupiers move out when it suits them, whilst the OP pays the mortgage...

Stevie most people get defensive / aggressive about their biggest asset. The most expensive piece of jewellery I own is nowhere near the cost of a house but I'd still be pissed if anyone hung onto it for 'a few more days' when they knew they were going to, without asking me in advance.

On the contrary I can't believe how nice and relaxed some people are about this kind of thing!