How long to prepare Report on Title after searches is done

[Bobnstacysmum]

FTB. My conveyancer is getting into my nerves. He is not good in replying or keeping me up to date with the progress. I've to call him, email few times to get update.

I'm in rush to meet 30th June deadline for stamp duty holiday.

Latest update from my conveyancer is that he has completed searches and has to prepare "Report on Title" and will send to me afterwards. 1 day has passed and I don't have it.

Does anyone know how long does it actually take to just prepare this?

Do I have hope to complete the exchange before 30th June?

Keep calling and emailing. I am in the same position, tired of the slowness when the solicitor readily took the extra cash to expedite!!!!

Keep me posted. We can cheer each other on!

@TortolaParadise

Keep calling and emailing. I am in the same position, tired of the slowness when the solicitor readily took the extra cash to expedite!!!!

They are among the most expensive group of conveyancers. I paid them around £2k inclusive of everything so I expected a bit more professionalism. Their review have been good but I'm starting to doubt that now. I've well informed them since the beginning that I've to target for 30th June deadline and have kept informing them with every conversation with them. I'm not in chain, seller is not in chain, seller is already ready with their signature on document and waiting for us to complete our part.

I just wanted to know if everything is hunky dory then how much time do they normally take to combining all documents to create this report?

Is it 1 day of job, 2 days or more?

@TortolaParadise

Keep me posted. We can cheer each other on!

Yes, that will help. £10k is on stake.

Any progress made today?
I now have my Report on Title to read over the weekend. It has taken my solicitor four days to produce this document. She even had the audacity to tell me how busy she is! Very unprofessional indeed.

@TortolaParadise

Any progress made today? I now have my Report on Title to read over the weekend. It has taken my solicitor four days to produce this document. She even had the audacity to tell me how busy she is! Very unprofessional indeed.

Lucky you, I hope you get it all completed before 30th. I'm fucked. Called solicitor today, he said he will try in weekends. Let's see how it goes. For me it has already crossed 4+ days. Being busy is nonsense. If they are so busy they wouldn't have taken cases. Once they take it they should show professionalism to complete it. It's just so appalling to put people through such tough time.

Keep me updated with your progress.

Being busy is nonsense. If they are so busy they wouldn't have taken cases.

Well who would have taken it on then? Because all property lawyers are overwhelmed at the moment due to everybody wanting to complete by the end of June.

I work for a solicitor but in a different department. My next door neighbour works there too but she is in property and is working seven days a week at the moment. Last weekend while I was relaxing in my garden, I could see her beavering away in her spare room (home office).

I know it's frustrating for you but as she tells me she could get so much more done if clients didn't keep chasing her. Because you can bet if you're ringing, so is everyone else.

I hope your transaction goes through in time

I was told on 7th June they were ready to write the report and I got it this Tuesday (15th) after much chasing on Friday and Monday. When I asked for reasons for the delay they told me they were not aware of a delay?! Also not the cheapest of conveyancers- but it seems we have a 'legal executive' preparing the report and a solicitor only overseeing the process. Am rather cross about this too. We are not up against the 30th June deadline as buying for £230K but our rental lease is about to run out and we need to sort damp work before we can move in!

Every time you ring your conveyancer you're wasting at least 5 minutes of his time. If every one of the (likely) 50 files he has open does the same, and all of your estate agents do the same, that's 500 minutes, or over 8 hours, that between you you've wasted stamping your feet.

You've known about the stamp duty deadline for some time. Maybe you should have got your own act together sooner and instructed before you did.

Chasing is mot always a phone call though, is it? I have never had a phone conversation with my conveyancers- everything done by email and a one-liner email chasing can be replied to when they have a chance that day.

The same principle applies. He needs to read your email, open your file, read where it's up to and reply to your email. None of which progresses the file. And he does that for every chasing email he gets. It's a non productive activity that slows him down and wastes his time. Which means he takes longer to do what he needs to do.

Conveyancing as a practice area is notorious for the reason that some people just lose their fucking minds when they buy a house and are way more difficult to deal with than eg people in prison or people who have been screwed over by an employer or damaged by a doctor etc - you know, people with real problems, who also hire solicitors.

Expecting your conveyancer to turn around the report in one day is unreasonable. He or she has to read the search reports thoroughly and determine if there is anything contained within that can affect your use of the property. It will assess any boundary issues, rights of way, tax issues, liens and so on, plus if the report is also on the results of the other searches, it will include previous planning applications and building certificates, drainage and environmental concerns. There may well be enquiries raised that need answering.
It is in your best interest to have this done properly. I would expect a few days at least.
And like accountants coming up to end of January tax deadline, conveyancers are under the gun, and you are just one of dozens that your conveyanceris dealing with.

I think everyone is forgetting though that yes conveyancers and their teams are working very hard at the moment, but they are are also making a load of cash! Make hay while the sun shines and all that? There will never be as busy a time as this in our lifetime, so yes don’t hassle them to death, but also don’t feel too sorry for them either, they will be hitting their bonus targets and then some!

@TortolaParadise

Any progress made today? I now have my Report on Title to read over the weekend. It has taken my solicitor four days to produce this document. She even had the audacity to tell me how busy she is! Very unprofessional indeed.

Ahhh...you're one of those clients who thinks they're the only client the solicitor / conveyancer has. 🙄🙄🙄

I have clients like you (litigation). Thankfully not many, however. Quite often the most impatient clients are those who've also caused delays in the process (I'm not saying this applies here) somewhere along the line, which is ironic.

Conveyancers are up the wall right now. Many will have no control over their own file numbers as they'll work for a firm which is happy to pile the work onto them. No, it's not ideal with regards client care, but it shows a total lack of understanding as to the state of play with now to moan that you've been told your conveyancer is busy. That's an understatement; have some understanding.

they will be hitting their bonus targets and then some!

Not all firms pay bonuses, so don't bet on that.

@Gettingonabitnow conveyancers are definitely not making 'loads of cash'

@NoWordForFluffy I understand what it is to have a heavy workload but my simple no chain sale has dragged on for 5 months. At one point I was told 'Oh I thought you had already completed the searches were all dated March 2021. I repeat I understand how busy it is but own your professional oversight. A surly attitude is most annoying. I too am busy.

@Eileen101 agree, firms like Conveyancers R Us won’t be. But your average high street or more traditional firm will be raking it in at the moment - let’s not kid ourselves!

Reports can take a week or so to compile. The solicitor has to collate all the paperwork they've received about the property, review it all to make sure they tell you everything you should be aware of, so you know exactly what you're buying. For example, you should receive a copy of the raised enquiries and the responses, copy of the searches, the Property Information Form, plus any supporting guarantees/warranties etc, together with copies of the title and plan and any Conveyances from Land Registry. There may be a management pack. They also include legal documents for your signature, such as the Transfer, Contract and Mortgage Deed, together with client forms to complete detailing how you want the property to be held (Joint Tenants/Tenants in Common), details of a forwarding address (if not the new house), bank account details for any residual monies, whether you are paying the EA or the solicitor is (on the sale property). The solicitor then compiles a report which you need to read carefully before agreeing to proceed. This is the part where, if at a later date, you want compensation because of something you were not aware of or didn't think you'd been advised about, it will be in the report!

All the above has to be done while also dealing with exchanges and completions and numerous clients all chasing and requiring updates. The more time spent on answering clients, the longer it will take to do their work.

Some firms have limited their work by not taking on more clients, but a lot of firms are pushed to take on as much work as possible without any care to the legal team actually doing the work.

My firm is charging clients approximately £1000 per transaction, where the EA is earning £10,000 per transaction. My firm does not give bonuses and, in fact, many of the pre-legal/admin staff are earning not much more than minimum wage. Even a fully qualified solicitor is only on £30-40k. This is a local family owned business, not in London!

@TortolaParadise

Any progress made today? I now have my Report on Title to read over the weekend. It has taken my solicitor four days to produce this document. She even had the audacity to tell me how busy she is! Very unprofessional indeed.

No progress today. I'll ping him again on Monday.

@SunshineSum

Every time you ring your conveyancer you're wasting at least 5 minutes of his time. If every one of the (likely) 50 files he has open does the same, and all of your estate agents do the same, that's 500 minutes, or over 8 hours, that between you you've wasted stamping your feet.

You've known about the stamp duty deadline for some time. Maybe you should have got your own act together sooner and instructed before you did.

I've already started well ahead of time and am ready with completion. Seller is ready with contract. It's the simplest case, no chain no issues. If solicitor wanted he could have completed everything by now. They took 3 weeks to just verify identity.

If you don't call them they will not take any action at all. Mine has never ever informed me of anything without chasing. What you have wrote regarding wasting time is total bullshit. What world do you live in that you don't have to phone these people to get update?

@Bobnstacysmum totally agree - it’s like solicitors are this higher being that cannot be contacted!!

What world do you live in that you don't have to phone these people to get update?

Some solicitors update their clients regularly without being chased. While litigation is slower than house purchasing, I have a task on each file to ensure each client is updated at least every 28 days (even if the update is that there is no update, because we're, e.g. waiting for the Court to do something).

No reason why other specialisms shouldn't do the same (with frequency dictated by the type of work).

Fingers crossed for Monday.