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Original poster

Not allowed to chase buyers solicitors

54 replies

Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:00

Hi, we had an offer on our house ten weeks ago.

Our solicitor and estate agent are chasing their solicitor once a week. Apparently morgage is sorted, all searches are back and enquires are done. When chased, their update will just say they are not ready to exchange and will let them know when they are ready.

Anyway it came to the weekly update today, the buyers solicitor was annoyed and said that the update requests are stopping them from getting on with their work, and we will hear from them when ready to exchange.

Is this normal? I wouldn’t have thought a weekly update was excessive?

No mention of any dates or timescales.

OP posts:
Morechocmorechoc · 05/04/2022 22:03

This isn't normal. I woukd start looking for a new buyer. Normally if there's a chain or a reason for a delay it would be communicated as buyers woukdnt want to lose the house. This us most odd

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:25

There is a chain (FTB buying our buyers house)

OP posts:
LoudingVoice · 05/04/2022 22:28

Not normal at all, I’d set them a deadline to exchange and also say if they can’t keep you updated you’ll be looking for new buyers who are more interested in moving the sale along.

LemonSqueezy0 · 05/04/2022 22:29

I wouldn't wait, say you will be putting the property back on the market on X date as you haven't had sufficient information to allow you to remain confident in this buyer.

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:32

We are all ready with our onward purchase and ready to exchange.

Our estate agent keeps saying that 16 weeks to exchange is the norm and be patient.

OP posts:
DropYourSword · 05/04/2022 22:33

I'd put it back on the market in preparation for finding a new buyer

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:40

The estate argent told me today that week 10 is early and it’s taking 16 weeks to complete at the minute.

OP posts:
Moancup · 05/04/2022 22:41

Does your buyer definitely know the solicitor has said this? My conveyor has turned out to be annoyingly (in my view) reluctant to give updates to the estate agents and seems to find it an insult to their professional work ethic. It doesn’t reflect my commitment as a buyer - nor I have discovered the work that is underway.

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:43

I don’t have a clue, I can ask our estate agent if our buyer is aware that their solicitor has said this.

OP posts:
tothemoonandbackbuses · 05/04/2022 22:45

Has your estate agent called their estate agent? As that’s a good way to get information and to inform them what the solicitor is doing.

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:48

I’m not sure, I can check tomorrow.

OP posts:
RiaG91 · 05/04/2022 22:52

It is actually perfectly normal and the timeframe provided is reasonable, especially when a chain is involved.

Ive worked in the housing industry for 7 years and four months for a presented home isn't excessive.

Solicitors are notorious for lack of updates when it comes to conveyancing. I would expect some form of update, but then you mention mortgage is in, searches are done and enquiries raised so they have actually updated you. Is this your buyers information or does it apply to the chain?

They should, however, be open to advising what it is they are waiting on to meet exchange.

You should instruct your solicitor to issue an email with a deadline for exchange and a written response as to their intentions (ie. can you Meet it or not)

caecilius1 · 05/04/2022 22:55

Has your estate agent called their estate agent
^
There is only 1 estate agent working for OP as the buyer is a FTB.

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 05/04/2022 22:57

This is our buyers information. I have no idea where the FTB are up to buying our buyers house. They are actually on week 12 of that sale (it sold before we sold ours).

I think we just need an estimated goal if you like. I don’t like the lack of transparency.

OP posts:
BlackAndPinkNose · 05/04/2022 22:57

The difficulty with a "we exchange by X date" ultimatum is that it can often be out of everyone's hands if they are still waiting for searches etc to come back.

Without the searches returned, they don't know if there are any queries, so are not ready to go...

And if they are being chased several times a week for all their caseload, then answering calls / e-mails does eat into the time that they should be doing the conveyancing.

You have my sympathies as we were in this situation last year and it is so frustrating / unsettling but it takes as long as it takes and I would say 14 weeks is a good timescale from my experience of several moves over the last 5 years.

Kite22 · 05/04/2022 23:12

I wouldn't expect to be completing at 10 weeks.
tbh, I think 16 weeks is quite optimistic.

That said, I do think solicitors en-masse are so poor at communicating.
I have never met anyone who spoke positively about their solicitors when either buying or selling their home.
Now, it may be all the faffing and procastinating they do is needed, but if it is, why not let the people who are paying them to work for them what is going on ?

RosesAndHellebores · 05/04/2022 23:21

Our solicitors have always been excellent. You get what you pay for.

It's perfectly reasonable to ask and be given information in relation to what is holding up exchange.

caringcarer · 05/04/2022 23:46

I am buying a house with no chain. It should be a straightforward purchase. I put in offer on October 30th. Accepted November 1st. Valuation took place December 4th and my mortgage offer was with solicitors on December 15th. Searches all back by third week of January. I thought I would be completing in February but no the vendor has been incredibly slow on everything, taking weeks to fill out forms, then more weeks to answer enquiries. I exchanged on Monday and we complete on Thursday. 5 1/2 months I have waited. I thought at one time he was being deliberately slow. My solicitors chased every few days since end of January and EA chased too. I feel like I have done 5 rounds with Mike Tyson. I am drained. I am having to take EA wine and flowers for all the chasing she has had to do for me. I don't understand why vendors take so long to fill in a few forms and get them back

Kite22 · 06/04/2022 00:12

I don't understand why vendors take so long to fill in a few forms and get them back

I think part of it is that most people don't move house that often. They don't know what they are going to be asked for.
I don't understand why solicitors can't give a 'house buyer' or 'house seller' pack out, at the start, to say "you will be asked for all this information - it will be really helpful to get it all ready now"

Yes, there will still be some people that are hopeless and slow, but it would help all those people who just don't know what they are going to be asked for.
One of my dc has recently bought a house, and the vendor's solicitor would just ask him for one thing a week, rather than letting him have a list of everything he might need at the beginning. The Vendor was the one who really wanted to be completed before Christmas.

TracyHorrobin · 06/04/2022 07:18

Have your buyers instructed their Solicitor to deliberately delay? I remember once speaking to a seller that was deliberately delaying but hadn't told their buyer hoping to just ride it out.

pilates · 06/04/2022 07:24

I wouldn’t be looking for another buyer.

Weekly chasing by solicitor and estate agent is stopping him do his job.

Perhaps the FTB isn’t ready and all the phone calls in the world are not going to change this. Ask your agent to speak to FTB agent to see what the position is. If your buyers are selling a leasehold property this can take longer as there is a lot more work involved.

NewName9273 · 06/04/2022 07:34

I don't think looking for another buyer is the right answer.

You will be restarting the entire process.

Your agent/solicitor needs to be asking direct questions rather than 'how're we getting on'

Have searches been returned etc. you need to know exactly where in the process t he y are.

Agent also needs to be contacting the buyer to get them on the case also.

sarahc336 · 06/04/2022 07:44

Are they renting? I wonder if they're trying to delay it as long as they can towards the end of the rental contract? Bit naughty, I think if everyone else is ready to proceed maybe a dead line is needed, be a bit more forceful as they can't really delay exchange without giving a reason, good luck xx

Londongent · 06/04/2022 09:13

I don't think a weekly update is necessary, what you need to know is what is holding up your buyers, and when they reasonably expect that to be resolved.
I don't think you require new buyers either.

Original poster
Nurse1980 · 06/04/2022 09:49

They are renting but I’ve been told my my EA that they want to move ASAP. They are on a rolling month contract.

My estate agent is seeing what is holding up our buyers buyer. Our EA agent also said not ask our buyers solicitors for updates and just let them do their job.

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