Nightmare sellers!

[Littletinyraindrops]

Hi all!

We put in an offer, which was accepted, mid March and since the. We've had nothing but issues with the sellers.

The EAs used were terrible at communicating and kept losing the information we'd dropped into them regarding the AIP and all the other initial documents, so the sellers said it'd be easier to swap numbers as their solicitor said it'd be better to communicate ourselves.
Being idiots, and FTBs, we didn't see an issue, however every other day since then they've badgered us about moving dates, we've repeatedly said we couldn't sort this until everything paperwork wise was sorted, but gave them ball park times which they then kept saying wasn't good for them blah blah.

We said we're renting so we're more flexible, but that it's pointless getting a date now, as their solicitors haven't bothered to send all the relevant information to ours and have ignored them for the past week.

They had a survey done on the house they were buying and found it had too many problems, so s
they understandably stopped the process and found another house, but didn't think to clue us in on it all so we heard nothing for a month from anyone.

They've gotten very rude over the past month and honestly I feel like telling them to stick it up their arse, but we do love the house.

The woman rang DH last week and said they're exchanged on the house they're buying and it's set for the end of the month, so we need ours sorted before then, but he asked why they'd done that before making sure everything is set with their sale as we're still waiting on info from them.
She was VERY rude then and now this morning has messaged to say they're thinking off taking their house off the market as the prices are rising, because we've been so unfair to them when they've been so wonderful and understanding. Not sure what they've been understanding about??!!

We've repeatedly asked them to contact us through the EAs/solicitors instead if by text but they've ignored us, we've also emailed the EAs to explain we're sick of the rude messages and inappropriate phone calls and to ask them to cease contact with us unless through them. Every step of this process has been horrible.

I'm fuming, and feel like ranting to the horrible woman that every hold up has been either their crappy EAs fault, their useless solicitors fault or their own @!£(&/)& fault. I won't of course.

My question really is if they have exchanged with their sellers and are relying on the money from their house, can they pull out now without being sued?

Sounds like they're nutters & making it up as they go along tbh. Your best bet is to get your solicitor to call their solicitor to find out what the hell is going on. I'd start looking elsewhere just incase too!

@MovingThisYearHopefully - They're 100% nutty.
I rang the solicitors this morning who said they asked for information a week ago and have been chasing it but they've had no reply at all from theirs. We've explained this and have been told we're liars and are just dragging it out now.
Why would we drag it out?! We've got nowhere to sell and can't wait to move.
It feels like they're taking the p*ss so they can walk away with little blame.

No they can't and they sound like idiots. Time to play hardball: you tell your solicitor and the EA the sellers have said this and say they have until 5pm to decide whether they want to proceed or not. If they don't, you'll just walk away. If they do then it is with the proviso that they do not contact you at all directly. They can give their decision via the EA/solicitor.

Stressful enough without this kind of thing.

@wowfudge - Totally agree with what you've said and I have said something similar to DH, however I'm concerned that they've not really exchanged yet and are lying, all so they have an excuse to pull it and try their luck at getting more money.

We've spent £2500 so far on everything, which is a fair amount of money to us, and I'll be so angry to lose it just because they're horrible people.

I would go back to the EA because they won’t want to lost their commission. Let them deal with the crazy.

Lose, not lost

If they pull out of their purchase now they've exchanged, yes, they would be liable for legal action, as well as forfeiting a percentage of the purchase price. Which is why I don't think they have exchanged - it makes no sense for them to have done it separately to their sale, especially without telling you.
I think they're trying to bully you into letting go on the outstanding queries so you'll go ahead and exchange now - which would set alarm bells ringing for me. Why won't they provide the info, what are they hiding?
I'd be inclined to get your solicitor to call their bluff by sending them a letter saying you've had enough of their harassing messages, are furious they've exchanged without letting you know because it puts you under pressure when there are outstanding queries, say you are considering pulling out yourselves and will give them your final answer in 24 hours. I bet then you'll find the exchange hasn't happened after all!

Thanks @theluggageslegs , we emailed them an hour ago (I'm being naughty and shouldn't be on here at work!) but haven't heard anything yet. We just said it was unacceptable the things they said and that we just want this finished too but things have to go through the normal channels.

@LaLaLongwhiskers - Oh thank Hod it's not just me who finds all of this incredibly fishy.
There is a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that something isn't right. DH just thinks it's because I can't stand the woman. Haha.
I can't stand liars and I'd rather just know either way what's going on, but they've just lied and pushed and pushed too often for my liking.

*God 🙄

Id ring & speak to a real person as soon as you can tbh rather than emailing. Follow up your call with an email outlining what was said. Id go to your solicitor directly & ask them to find out via the sellers solicitors. I doubt they have exchanged. It would be madness to do so before the chain was ready!

Speak to the EA asap. Yes it's a lot of money to you but, and you could say this, you really feel like you don't want them to have your money as their behaviour has been appalling as they have been rude and threatening towards you. The EA won't want to lose a sale and won't tell them exactly what you have said. They have more to lose than you if they have found their onward purchase.

Why would the OP be furious the sellers have exchanged on their onward purchase? I wouldn't say that - it just means the sellers are committed to buy and it's their look out. Yes they are trying to pressurise the OP, but they've done enough other stuff for the OP to consider pulling out.

I really think giving them 24 hours is too long. By 5pm today will really make them sit up and pay attention.

Look, OP if you issue an ultimatum you have to be prepared to see it through and walk away. If you back down or agree to something else it makes you look weak and the whole thing will snowball again.

Part of me wouldn't be surprised if she'd done it as I'm not sure she has a clue about selling/buying.
She's bullied and belittled the people who they're buying from from what the EAs have said in the past, and more recently pushed for a date that's good for her but not them and she told them she's pulling out if they don't do as she's asked. She's properly unhinged.

I'd seriously consider pulling out entirely. Difficult sellers will be difficult the whole way through. Think about the stress of negotiating a completion date, included fixtures & fittings. Are they the type of people to leave the house in a state as revenge etc etc. If you love the house 100% @wow is right. Ultimatum but be prepared to walk away.

@wowfudge -
I'm not furious about them exchanging, dubious they have sure, but not angry.
I'm furious that their solicitors are holding this up, which we've repeatedly told them, but they keep harassing us.
We asked why they've exchanged when they haven't finished with us, as this has been the hold up, and she got very shirty.

The people they're buying off are going into rented accommodation, and were in no rush to move out, they were hoping for August before her ultimatum according to the EAs.
Originally our sellers too were in no rush as, in her words, she'd be 'happy to stay in the house' and yet all we've had is grief to hurry up a situation we can't hurry.

If it comes down to it, and we can't sort this mess out via EAs/solicitors, I know we'll walk away and try buying another time but it's just frustrating and angering to be treated this way.

They've done absolutely nothing for us, so I'm not sure what you meant by that?

@Kamma89 - we've already done all of that, it's literally just the last few checks which have been unanswered for a while and chased up again last week.
The negotiating and f&f side of things is already all written out and signed.
We're in the home stretch, they're just not answering the last queries.

Ignore my last sentence @wowfudge - Sorry, I think the rage is making me a bit blind

Unless this is the only house you’d ever buy, I’d pull out!
With nothing to sell you are in a good position, ok you’ll lose your survey etc costs, but things could end up costing more in the long run.
We dumped a buyer for similar mucking around after only 2 months as we could see things going nowhere. A day later we found out his buyer had dumped him.

@JT05 - Ah God it's so frustrating isn't it?! Thanks for the advice!

I've just spoken to the EAs, they've said they're speaking to the sellers at 1pm about all of this, as it's not the first time they've said not to contact us. She also doesn't seem to think they've exchanged contracts as their firm is dealing with both homes.

She was very apologetic and said it was unacceptable, she said she'd call us after the conversation.

Jeez just pull out and find another house - chalk it up to experience. Even if they decide to go ahead today I can guarantee they will be equally painful prior to actual exchange. Any vendors who really want to sell are all over the info and their solicitors so things proceed asap as until you've exchanged it can all go tits up and most vendors know this!

What happened when the EA spoke to the sellers at 1pm, OP?

@LaLaLongwhiskers They didn't get hold of her!
They left a message to call them back and nothing, the EA seems confident the she can sort this, but we've said if she can't get hold of them by midday tomorrow, and get them to FO with the texts and threats then we're out.
My eye has been twitching all day.
God I need a stiff drink!

Don't get me wrong, she sounds batty but to be honest I think I sounded pretty nuts by the end of our house move last summer. We sold to ftb then bought from people going into rented while awaiting their house to be built. We were the only ones who cared what date we actually moved as we needed to book leave from work and in the summer holidays it's a nightmare as I can't be off when others are (NHS) plus 3 dc needing looking after with no family to step in. I've since found out from neighbours that our sellers told them
all kinds of untrue things that their solicitor told them we'd said and similarly we know the EA lied about our buyers to try to keep us sweet (when all we wanted was the truth!).

In short, don't trust anyone including EA and solicitor (yours or theirs) as they will all blame each other!

So your FTBs which means

a) you are a seller's dream, they should be hoping not too lose you.

b) you haven't been through this process before and may not realise that EAs should be doing all this chasing up and down the chain, and that if their solicitor has allowed them to exchange without the chain below in synch, then they have been badly advised and it is not your problem.

Unless there is nothing else you could buy I would seriously consider telling them to shove it. I know you've spent money but alarm bells should be ringing that these people are not playing the game as they should be. All three times I've bought there have been minor annoyances but there has been a basic level of decency.

Apologies, it seems I cannot write in English today without spelling errors