Long Post Warning
Please could someone advise as to what I should do..... Its long, but you need the full story.
I appointed a solicitor to deal with a shared ownership property back in January (recommended by mortgage brokers), at the time I was also in the process of being removed off another mortgage due to a relationship breakdown. The solicitor was told this upfront, and she asked for certain Paperwork to be sent so she could get started. I had mortgage offer in place. Fast forward to end of March, and I sent her the definite date of Transfer of Title, which was 23rd April. I asked whether it was possible to have the completion date around the same time.
After 1 week, I received a reply to tell me that my mortgage offer didn't cover properties with a restricted staircasing.
So I had to go back to the mortgage brokers and get another mortgage, but they needed a question answered by my HA first, which was being asked via my solicitor. After 2 weeks of no update, I messaged solicitors to ask for an update and she said she was awaiting a response still. I messaged the HA, and got the answer within the day and forwarded it.
This had then brought me to the beginning of May, and being no further forward.
On the above, should she not have realised the company didn't lend against restricted staircasing before I pushed for a completion date?! And also, why could I get the answer within a day, and it had taken her 2 weeks?
It took another short while to wait for a valuation to be done on the property, but within 10 days I received the Mortgage Approval, and forwarded my copy onto solicitor, to which I received a short reply about hers being a more comprehensive version (I was merely sending it so she knew it was en route). 2 more weeks passed and nothing from my solicitor, so I chased again and was told she had not received the paperwork, 2 minutes after first email, I received a second to say ignore the previous she had just received it (2pm In the afternoon, so not morning post) but she was still waiting on some queries to be answered, but was working on mid June as a completion date.
4 days later I got the mortgage deed through the post, signed it the same day, sent it back and emailed her to tell her she would have it in the morning (Friday). No reply.
On the Tuesday, I emailed HA (Seller), to ask if they could answer the outstanding queries as it was now the only thing holding up the sale. They told me the last correspondence was to say they were waiting for my new mortgage offer to come through and they would be sent to them. So in other words, no outstanding queries. For transparency, I sent this to my solicitor on Tuesday.
Her curt reply was to tell me she had now sent them this, as it had been an oversight.
As of Friday I have still had no update from her.
All the reviews on their website/independent websites, say how quick and efficient various team members are, and that they even arranged one mortgage to go through in a week as the couple were in temporary accommodation.
Myself and my 1 year old are in temporary accommodation, having to share a double bed in a single room, shared bathroom / kitchen. I know my living arrangements aren't my solicitors fault, but she doesn't seem to care or want to chase outstanding queries.
If it was any other proffesion/company you'd refuse to pay and go elsewhere, but they know all the ways to get out of said complaints and I can't afford to pay a different firm.
If I would have known it would take this long I would have rented for 6 months to a year.
What would you do in my situation?. I'm getting desperate as we will be homeless soon.