In a Chain Support Thread Jan2018

[YogaDrone]

New thread as ours is reaching max.

Old thread here In a Chain Support Thread Nov2017

THE place to vent and share all property chain based information.

Welcome all

According to my Solc. they don't want to ask for the mortgage funds before exchange because at this point you are committed to the mortgage and the mortgage is on the property to which you don't yet have a firm legal tie. So if it falls apart you are really stuffed (the last sentence is mine, not my solcs!)

Oh FFS KitKat VSC really are very dim But at least you are still on for pre-Easter completion

Lady as KitKat says the legal side will want to know where every part of your house purchase money is coming from so if some is a gift they'll need to have this in writing from the giver and the mortgage company will want them to state that this doesn't mean that they are part-owners (only the mortgage company will want this honour). Our buyers had money gifted too - I think it's quite common these days so shouldn't be a problem for you

Welcome villageshop

Argh Misguided what a continuous stream of incompetence you've had to deal with. I hope you managed to exchange yesterday and are good to go for next Tuesday [tea] and for later should you need it!

Yeah I'm trying to stay positive YogaDrone about completion pre-Easter (although it's a bit 'tighter' than what I would have hoped and would have liked to have had some more time in the new house to sort bits out before having to go back to work after the Easter weekend, but hey hum). I'm actually fairly confident for exchange today as I don't think there's much more that can go wrong! I'm still crossing my fingers though!

I should say LadyFlumpalot that we also were gifted some money from Mum towards our house purchase (my Dad died quite young last year and she inherited some money from investments etc that he had, but she wanted to share it between me and my brother). She had to write a very short letter to my solicitor just confirming the amount given and that it was a gift and she wasn't intending to make any claim on the property. The only slight annoyance was she also had to provide proof that the money was hers and showing where it had come from (I think it's a money laundering thing).

Still not exchanged here 😲 the level of stress is huge! So yesterday got info from EA who spoke with our solc to say the piece of paper with official authority from Housong Association for bottom of chain had been received. EA advised calling solc this AM and stating our case for exchange authority and completion dates. Called and spoke to the guy heading the team errr no... the authority hasnt been received and we just have to wait for it (excuse was there was a bit of confusion as 'we are ready to exchange but the bottom isn)....despite verbal authority being given last friday from housing association there is still no email with pdf on headed paper or a fax from them and we cant do anything about it apart from wait! Somehow my solicitor seems to think that is an acceptable update to give us at this stage! Personally I dont...especially when in his own words he said this is a high priority case since three weeks ago.

So we ask if he can chase the solicitor dealing with the other end of that chain to put pressure on housing association to send over relevant authority asap....he said he would chase them to do that....now call me sceptical but if the solicitors for top and bottom of the chain are actually the same company and the one remaining solicitor inbetween is ready to exchange...there really shouldnt be any delays! Yes its the housing association action the chain is waiting on but it would appear that they have not been chasing (colleague solc at bottom of chain to chase housing association) and actually just waiting for them to be ready!

🙈🙈🙈🙈

Absolutely fuming...at the incompetence of the system and ppl we are dealing with and also the fact we are still trapped living in this emotion, its not healthy.

@kitkat fingers well and truly crossed for you to get your exchange in the bag today and a completion date prior to Easter 👌🤞

Solicitors are bleeping bleeps so..call again at lunch to get latest on progress...basically told to not phone they are handling it and they have no update at all! Just waiting...and waiting..and waiting! Is it too early for ?

Oh Misguided that is shit. I really feel for you. Definitely not too soon for I hope they give you some replies soon so you can exchange.

Still waiting to exchange here. I was told by both my solicitor and EA this morning that we should be exchanging today and have been waiting for the call all day, but so far, nada.

Well my confidence that exchange is going to happen today is starting to fade. Surely they should have done it be now?!?

Right my estate agent who I've just chased has said everyone is now waiting on one bank to confirm that they are okay with the completion day of the 29th. We may exchange today (looking unlikely to me now as it's 4.30pm) otherwise it will probably be tomorrow.

If we don't exchange tomorrow then we'll have to organise yet another completion date as there won't be 5 clear working days again between exchange and completion.

What a fucking awful system we have in this country.

Bit of a snag today! Or well, a series of snags.

Got our Homebuyer's Report. Only we didn't ask for one, we had asked for full structural survey. We thought that's what they were doing last Thursday. Nope, Homebuyer's. On solicitor contract they hadn't put structural. So now we need that done, because...

Homebuyer's flagged some stuff. Namely, electricity. Flagged at number 3 as a 'risk to people' even though the guy's not an electrician. The rewire was done 6 years ago by the vendor's electrician, the vendor has been living there since then. Visually everything looks fine and we plan to get the certificate to check all is above board, but report says it's 'unlikely to conform to current regulations.' Seems a bit weird? Getting the solicitor to look into it as we're concerned. We have a full electrical survey planned too but no idea when that will be done.

Another thing, the meters are in the cellar which the vendor has STILL not let us, or anyone else, see. Granted the access is in the front room via a floor hatch, and there is heavy furniture on top. But the agent initially didn't know about any cellar, so DH couldn't see it when he first viewed. On our second viewing the vendors said 'sorry it's a faff to move the chest of drawer, you can see it next time.' On the mortgage valuation, the guy didn't go down there. The Homebuyer's guy also didn't. Anyone else think this is dodgy? They're supposed to be moving soon, it isn't hard to move a chest of drawers.

I'm kind of furious about the survey confusion and zero transparency about the cellar tbh. With the worry we might have to pull out, I decided to make some calls for viewings of our backup properties next week. They're all gone, bar one, and someone else is viewing on Friday so we're joining them! I should have pulled out of this place last week!

DH is telling me to calm down though he is concerned too, he wants to wait it out but I'm freaking out about the lack of stuff on the market as an alternative and the rewire/cellar issues with this one. Anyone want to tell me whether I'm being rational or not? Yeesh.

Aww kitkat it really is an awful system in England and Wales, I am thankful my next purchase is in Scotland and basically although not without flaws its a much more robust system than here...quicker too...can be completed and moved in in approx 6-8weeks..god forbid!

We have heard nothing at all since this lunchtime...so frustrating but what can we do...call around and get disappointed when no movement....we are hoping for exchange tomorrow just because we think we are near enough now to expect it to happen and we want to be on the road to Scotland before Easter Weekend traffic ne t Fri, we also have a holiday booked for the week after easter so folk really need to be getting their stuff sorted. After having this dangled at us for over a month and a half i am really really sick of it!

Hope we are both winners tomorrow 👌👌

@katzensocken i can see it from both yours and DH point of view...i know i would be questioning keeping things in the dark, if they are selling their house then why are they not showing ALL of their house! The survey thing is a head scratcher...need a full structural survey done for sure.

Try not to worry about other properties, you will end up in the right property at the right time..keep the trust it will work out as it is meant to and in the meantime remain quietly cautious until sellers can prove cellar is actually tip top! 👌

p.s. I would ask to view cellar before instructing full survey if I was you...no point in wasting money if there is something you are not keen on in the cellar!

Thank you for the advice re the deposit everyone! I'm still in the early stages of filling in the purchasers questionnaire so I have phoned my dad and asked for a short letter so I can go in ready armed for when they ask for proof.

I'm having a bit of a panic. Have just had a letter from tax credits to say they are calling in an overpayment to us - I'm worried that I need to declare that on the mortgage form and it will scupper us . I'm sort of wondering if I can ignore it until the mortgage is all sorted and then sort it out? Will the mortgage company care about it?

@misguided, thanks! We are definitely being cautious and not jumping the gun on anything as yet. I think we will contact the vendor in a bit (we have spoken informally about arranging further viewings and pace of things etc) and just inquire about the cellar again to make sure they can arrange moving the furniture before we come to see the house for a third time. We meant to view the house again before now but thought we would wait for the survey to be done so we weren't in their hair too much, didn't know it would take this many weeks to sort it!

I think the only positive thing is that I liked those other properties but hadn't set my heart on any of them, same with this one almost! Because nothing is certain. Weirdly though, I had been concerned about this one earlier in the proceedings, and at one point thought I would be glad to have the chance to pull out. But it's not that simple, today I felt mentally attached to the house and perhaps emotionally, and the idea of there being big problems with it really upset me! I think it's just a huge tangle of feelings. Hopefully we will get some clarification from solicitors tomorrow, we can organize a third viewing and see about getting the electrician in.

Misguided I’m with you on the ridiculous system and hope your solicitor pulls their finger out soon.

Kitkat surely today must be the day!

Ladyflump is you’re using tax credits towards your income I would tell them tbh.

katzensocken I agree that the surveyor should have checked the cellar - surely they can’t leave off whole rooms? Hope there’s nothing shady down there.

We’ve instructed solicitors and sent off the full mortgage application, paid surveyors fee on our onward purchase and and filled out a load of paperwork.
Have surveyor coming to our place later this week and am slightly crapping myself in case they find something major (am sure there’s nothing but still. We can’t afford to drop the price further else we won’t be able to move at all.) Anyone know what a homebuyers surgery looks at?

@sausagedogsmakechipolatas - we aren't using tax credits though. They stopped them last year after DH got a new job and our earnings went past the threshold, assumed that was it done and dusted but we've just had an "amended tax credit award" notice for 16-17 and 17-18 with a 2k overpayment over both years? I'm calling today to query.

Ah in that case no i wouldn’t say anything - it’s only relevant if you were using them as income in the mortgage affordability check.

Katzen - can you call the vendors EA and ask to do another viewing and say specifically that you want to see the condition of the cellar? Since you are getting an electrical survey done I'd wait until you get the results of that back before getting too seriously concerned about the electrics.

LadyFlumpalot I'd call today to query as planned with the tax credits people. If it is decided that you do owe 2k back then you will probably have to declare it as a monthly expenditure on your affordability check (I'm assuming tax credits will ask you to repay the money monthly over the next couple of years rather than as a lump sum). Utter nightmare though.

SausageDogs the homebuyer survey we had done looked at the general condition of the property (like paintwork, carpets etc) as well as commented on if there was any signs of structural issues or damage to the roof etc. It also looked to see how modern the plumbing / electrics were, and at things like energy efficiency.

Fingers crossed we can both exchange today Misguided! We've been waiting long enough! I'm getting really twitchy about how late we're leaving it to book removals if we are indeed moving on the 29th as I suspect a lot of people are planning to move that day (so they only have to take one day off work for completion and then have the whole Easter weekend to finish moving in). I can't book anything yet though until exchange happens because if exchange doesn't happen today again (for whatever reason this time) then we're going to have to amend our completion day again to allow for 5 working days between exchange and completion. Sigh.

Aggggahhhh!!!

Just had a call from our solicitors. Apparently the solicitors for the property our vendor is buying is saying they are missing a document (no clarification on what this is) and can't exchange until they receive this. They may get this today or they may not.

How can we have been trying to exchange all week and they've only just realised this?!?! Why is everyone so fucking useless?!? Is it actually humanly possible to exchange in this stupid fucking system we have in this country?!?

@kitkat and breathe...honestly i feel for you, we are in the exact same position...feels impossible to get exchanged..each piece of paper that is needed takes near a week for us...

I was in the same head space yesterday as you are in now...and I did some deep breathing and realised (AGAIN!) that me getting so stressed is not changing anything!

Deep breaths...once you swear some more!

I know Misguided. I just need to accept it is what it is but this whole process is just infuriating. I'm just so annoyed because today is the last chance we've got to exchange so we can move by Easter, which now looks like it isn't going to happen. And I've been saying since early January that I need to move by Easter and always been assured that it would be fine, we would be in long before Easter, etc, etc

Oh well, DD2 has just been sent home from nursery with a vomiting bug so that will be an 'interesting' distraction.

Well I've just had a chat with my solicitor. The document missing at the top of the chain, is, believe it or not, the contract of sale, so nothing important then!

Apparently the probate sale is being managed by a bank on behalf of the deceased person's family, and they've massively cocked up by not signing the contract.

Our solicitor is reasonably hopeful (because every solicitor in the chain is complaining very loudly to the solicitor at the solicitor at the top about how on earth this has happened) that this contract will appear in the next working day or two. So, he's going to request funds from our mortgage company today to work towards completion on the 29th still, but it's a risk (as we'll be liable for costs if the money is sent down and then we have to return it if we don't exchange) so if we don't exchange by early next week at the latest our solicitor will try and cancel the transaction mid-way through before we get charged.

The cherry on top of all this is that we still can't organise any removals as we still don't know if we're moving next week or not. Also DH's work is (understandably) wanting to know if he is booking time off next week or not and getting a bit huffy about the whole situation.

Arghh @kitkat so fricking frustrating isnt it...i cannot believe the similarities in cock-ups we are both having...if our chains werent so small and with a slight difference here and there I would be fooled into thinking we are in the same chain.😂🙈

We are also same re completion for 29th, solc said we really need to be exchanging by end of today if that was the case but hopefully the others in chain have had their finances ordered up to still make completion for that day!

Same issue with time off except my DH has had to take all his hols before end of next week so this will have to eat into our hols for next year now 🙈 his boss is wanting him back in scotland office when he returns tho 😔🤔

Hope you DD2 is ok and feeling a bit better now home?

Oh KitKat how incredibly incompetent of the solicitor at the top of the chain. As you say - how on earth can they not have realised that the contract of sale wasn't there. I'm so angry on your behalf. Incompetent idiots I'm glad that the rest of the chain's solicitors are all being vocal in their disgust.

I know you have your (very good) reasons for wanting to complete by Easter but I'm not sure I wouldn't be considering pushing it back to a couple of weeks after Easter if I were you. I so hope it works out for you Is DD2 okay? Has the

Cross posted with you misguided. I'm sorry to hear you still haven't exchanged. That both you and KitKat are having pretty much the same issues just shows how crap our buying and selling process is England and Wales.

I very much hope you are both in your lovely new homes by Easter

Sending good wishes to everyone today!

DH went in to see the solicitor. They looked at our receipts and agreed we had paid for a full structural survey but mistakenly just the homebuyer's had been done. So they're scheduling a full structural. We have paid for an electrical survey too so hopefully that will be done soon. We made it very clear we want the cellar to be inspected and the solicitor agreed with this too. They are in the process of arranging these surveys so I hope not too much of a delay.

I texted the vendor to explain and asked if we could send someone back with a view to checking out the cellar properly, he was fine with it, just said to make sure they contact him first so he will be present to move the furniture beforehand.

Meanwhile solicitor just emailed to say they have received partial responses to enquiries (I think regarding the leasehold) so stuff is rolling in, if slowly.

So better news than yesterday! DH says he feels calmer now. I will feel calmer if we get good survey results back! DH told me before that he's 'sick of the whole process' now which I found pretty funny because I never expected anything else from house buying!

Yes there are quite a few weird similarities in our chains Misguided! I really hope we both finally manage to exchange today so we can both complete on the 29th, and we aren't both stuck in this weird 'are we moving or not' limbo over the weekend. I have managed to find a removal company with availability for us to move on the 29th (and pack on the 28th), so I've (briefly) explained our situation and he's happy to keep us in his diary as a provisional booking, but I'd really like to be able to confirm the booking today.

DD2 (16 months) managed to throw up on me a total of 3 times yesterday.

Well I'm feeling very twitchy. Estate agent e-mail at 11am basically said he's chasing the missing contract so we can try and exchange today. However it's really cutting it fine now. By my reckoning the contract needs to be signed and returned by mid-afternoon (so 3-3.30ish?) at the absolute latest or we haven't really got time to exchange today, and we may have to cancel our requested mortgage monies.

Pretty much just staring at my phone and e-mail desperately willing it to ring with news now.