What more can i do??? Conveyancing mess up!

[kades2000]

We're a small chain of 3 and yet 14 weeks in we still dont have an official completion date!

It was slow to begin with and then we were informed in May that our buyers wanted to complete by end of May however our purchase was not ready as was still waiting on replies and so agreed to wait a bit longer. As the days were turning into weeks and no news i finally had an email last Tuesday that enquiries were dealt with and they are liaising with all parties on a completion date.

Still no news on Friday, i email them for an update....no reply......email again on Tuesday.....no reply.! Chased the estate agent who came back and said that everyone has agreed with the 22nd and are we okay with that, very happy with that date but why isn't my conveyancer giving me that news???

Wednesday ive demanded to speak to my case worker who informs me that the legal executive who said we are discussing dates has now left the company and that another solicitor is having to go through the file and they have found outstanding enquiries on both our sale and purchase....wtf! Why has everyone agreed on a date then, apparently the enquiries are easily dealt with and i practically begged her to try and sort is asap so we can exchange today.

So still not heard a peep and yet again no reply to my email this morning.

What more can i do? Should i keep chasing them or give them space to try and sort it out?

The estate agent is chasing them but im realising this conveyancing firm is a complete shambles.

Ring them and ask to speak to the person dealing with your file. Then keep ringing them if you can't get an answer. If you were told enquiries were all completed then it sounds as though the information may be missing from the file.

Don't email RING them. Keep chasing them. Solicitors need chasing or they just put it on a pile and forget about it.

I would stop chasing and let them get on with their work. It is very difficult to do the work and speak to clients all the time. Sometimes, if you find it impossible to get through on the phone, it is because they know who's calling and don't want to go through another long discussion with you knowing that your case won't progress until the enquiries are resolved. I know that's hard to understand but all the conveyancers I know are under so much pressure from so many clients and so much work to do, there just isn't time to spend time arguing on the phone.

It sounds to me like your previous conveyancer was under so much pressure that the replies to some of the enquiries got missed. Someone new has gone through the file and realised that there were missing responses and is now chasing them. Regardless of everyone agreeing "dates", you won't be exchanging until those enquiries are dealt with. This is why they don't want to speak to you because your case is now not due to exchange and therefore has fallen back in the order of priority.

Are you using an online conveyancer, or a local firm?
Spickle everyone has pressure in their jobs, conveyancers should not miss routine enquiries, "pressure because I had to speak to clients" is an excuse not a reason. If they did their job and kept everyone updated, the chasing phone calls would stop.

We hit similar issues (and funnily enough, were also due to complete on 22nd, but now not). I hear what Spickle is saying, but everyone in my chain agreed to keep pushing solicitors. We emailed to put pressure on virtually everyday (I.e stating what we were waiting for and asking for updates). We repeatedly asked for estimated times that things would be sorted by, then called if we had heard nothing. We also really chased our EA, who was brilliant, and also kept pushing the solicitors. A friend works in conveyencing and has confirmed for us, that when there is a heavy workload, it is often the people who shout loudest whose work gets done.

Good luck!

I do agree that if conveyancers "did their job" and updated clients, then a lot of the chasing would stop. However, online conveyancing firms offer a good price for their conveyancing service but what they don't tell you is that this good price means they have to take on many cases in order to make any profit. Employing a skeleton staff to do the work, leaves no time for updating clients and offering "no sale no fee" deals mean that a lot of the work is wasted if the transaction doesn't complete.

It is a farce and most staff do not enjoy not being able to build up a rapport with the client or offer the kind of personal service that they would like to.

Some clients who shout the loudest may influence the conveyancer to do theiir work quicker but if documents are requested from third parties then no amount of shouting can make a difference as to how quickly the solicitor receives it.

Sorry, Spucjle, I didn't mean to sound as though I was doubting you. In our situation, the bit conveyancibg team wasn't cheaper than local Ines - we chose it because we were told they were excellent.

Did you pay peanuts , op? Not necessarily - expensive firms can also be the same. I'm guessing your 'legal executive' quit or was fired, and the trail of disaster is now coming to light.

Firm sounds badly organised and understaffed. But there is no comeback.