Have you ever dealt with a difficult vendor?

[user1497207858]

We are in the process of buying a house. This should have been a very simple purchase but the vendor or her solicitor are being slow and unreasonable.

To cut a long story short (and after ALOT of problems) we are now at the final stage where we are ready to exchange but we are just waiting one document.

This document is becoming the biggest stress of my life. Our solicitor thought she has received it yesterday but AGAIN it was the incorrect information. My solicitor is doing everything possible but the vendor and her solicitor are either stupid or just aren't bothered.

I would be worried if this document could be hiding something about the house but it's just a certificate needed to transfer the title....so frustrating.

Have you ever had this problem where you've had a difficult vendor? What did you do about it? I would really love some advice

I am in the process of buying an empty property so, like with you, a simple purchase. It has taken 5 months for them to get to exchange. They just would not supply 2 outstanding answers to queries. Back and forth over and over again. The thing that made the difference in the end was my Estate Agent getting involved, she rang their Solicitor told them this had gone on long enough and that they needed to sort this today. Lo and behold the 2 outstanding documents turned up the next day and we are ready to exchange on my purchase. Unfortunately I am now just waiting for the rest of the chain to catch up!

Can you get your Estate Agent onto them?

Oh no that sound awful. I do wonder why they do this?

Our estate agent is involved and he keeps siding with the vendor. He quoting at me 'in this country this process takes 2-3 months' I don't know what he's implying when he says 'in this country' but I'm furious with them.

It's been over 3 months now and it really shouldn't have taken this long. I just don't know what next steps I can take

What is the document OP? There may be a way round it.

Loads of document faffing with one of my previous purchases drove me insane. I whinged to my solicitor, he told them we would withdraw if not provided by x, surprisingly got resolved very quickly. A bit extreme I know and need to be brave (and prepared to walk away) for this route but it did sort it!

We've been there - alcoholic vendor who went from saying "We need to exchange tomorrow or I'm pulling out" to ignoring requests for (necessary) documents repeatedly.

I second what a PP said - get the estate agent involved to chase what's needed. In our case and because I am a pedantic solicitor myself I prepared a table with what was missing, who owed it, when it was requested and all times it was requested again, so that any "We need to exchange tomorrow" chat was met with the list and me saying, Fine, we're happy to exchange as soon as we receive items 1-5 from you.

What document is it? It may be something they are unable to provide until after completion if it's a certificate of compliance or something.

It's a certificate to confirm the restrictions on the property because there is a management company on site. I am 100% not exchanging until I know what these restrictions are and how much it's going to cost me to transfer my name. Our estate agent is involved but he's siding with the vendor. I just don't know what to do

Could your solicitor contact the management company for it?

It just sounds like a normal slow solicitor thing, and yes, it takes absolutely months for anything to happen. Not because it is difficult but because solicitors are.juggling five million cases. We couldnt get ours to do anything any faster, nightmare!

Our estate agent is involved but he's siding with the vendor.

Well, s/he gets the commission when you buy the place, so best s/he gets a move on. Chase OP. Be a pain. If they dread hearing from you every day, all the better. No need to raise your voice or threaten, just be in touch regularly and ask for progress/"when can we expect this?"

So what would happen if you said you will pull out of the purchase of the document isn't provided by a certain date?

Is the vendor in a position to move themselves or are they waiting for their next property to be available? Is it possible they are playing you off against another purchaser who's offered more (happened to us and we found out on the date we were due to exchange)? I guess it depends how desperate you are for this property.

They may be stalling for time as the vendor is in a chain. Just tell them that of you don't get it by next week the purchase is off.

It sounds like there is a restriction on the title requiring a certificate from a management company for the title to be transferred on completion.
The delay is probably with the management company (some are ridiculously slow) in providing their requirements (usual a fee plus copy documents) for handing over yhe certificate.
If you know the name of the mamagement co you could try chasing yourself (they may not speak to you).

Agree with fleur, it's most likely the management company that are delaying things. Some are extremely slow and it doesn't matter to them whether your purchase goes through or not.

If it's a document setting out the restrictions or a draft deed of covenant and details of their fee, then it's just a case of chasing them. If it's a certificate of compliance confirming that the seller has complied with the restrictions and/or that you have entered into a deed of covenant agreeing to comply with the restrictions then this won't be issued until after completion.

Ttbb - the vendor isn't in a chain, she's ready to move out and has rented accommodation ready to go.

Just so confusing

This won't help but march 3rd we offered on a house. We move in Friday!
A simple misdrawing of the boundary so the line was a mm out caused so much back and forth. My solicitor wanted it corrected, theirs said it wasn't a problem, mine contacted land registry, they said it needed sorting so the solicitor above eventually agreed to give in.

In the mean time the chain collapsed and was rebuilt twice below us!
The house is empty so we thought we'd be in by may!

For the first few comments I genuinely thought that you were my buyer not moving out into rented though! We are waiting for this specific document too for our sale and our solicitor is chasing the management company and developer too. So my advice would be try to calm down, I'm sure they're trying their best and the delay isn't with them. With our sale I am as keen as everyone else in the chain to get a move on but these types of delays with different people are kind of inevitable, and 3 months isn't too bad. Good luck

So when you say "our EA", you mean the EA dealing with the sale of the vendor's property? Is that right? I would ring him again and ask what specifically the hold up is and unless you get a full explanation you'll have to consider whether you will proceed as being told the process takes X amount of time is really not helpful.

Just be careful. Friend who was buying didn't hear from mgt company. Vendor and EA kept stalling him. Told him he was being too fussy, anal. Turned out there were some very restrictive terms in place. Vendor knew, think they thought it may get missed. Follow your gut reaction and ensure you get what you need to be sure re purchase.