Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Buyers solicitors are useless!!

31 replies

Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 12:56

We accepted an offer on our property 1st April 2022. From the beginning our buyers solicitors have been slow and have had to be chased multiple times for replies which never came.

This has resulted in us, for the past 3 weeks in a row, being let down at last minute to complete. We still haven't even exchanged! Our mortgage funds have had to be sent back which has cost us more money. We were supposed to be moving Today for the 3rd Time which obviously hasn't happened.

Really cheesed off at this point. We are living out of boxes, have given away all our furniture as we were going to buy new, we thought we were being g super organised as we were moving 3 wks ago!!!

Makes it even more frustrating that we cannot even contact their solicitors as they are not acting for us.

Just wanted to see if there is anything anyone e could suggest. How on earth can they get away with messing us around like this?

Thanks

OP posts:
Orangesare · 22/07/2022 13:02

Have you asked to exchange then complete a week later?
it maybe time to issue threats but your estate agent should also be chasing and pushing to complete the sale.
you have my sympathy though it’s an awful process

mrsed1987 · 22/07/2022 13:06

I feel your pain. Although our solicitor is useless. We are meant to be discussing dates, I haven't heard from her for 10 days. Our buyers mortgage offer ends next Friday and they have said they will need to pull out if we don't exchange by then.

Orangesare · 22/07/2022 13:08

mrsed1987 · 22/07/2022 13:06

I feel your pain. Although our solicitor is useless. We are meant to be discussing dates, I haven't heard from her for 10 days. Our buyers mortgage offer ends next Friday and they have said they will need to pull out if we don't exchange by then.

You probably need to phone and email at least once a day.

SuperCamp · 22/07/2022 13:11

The Estate Agent can contact them!

The EA will be very keen to see this sale come to fruition, and should be doing all they can to progress the sale.

Get them to talk to your buyers, and your buyers sols, and get an update.

courtrai · 22/07/2022 13:12

Playing devils advocate here - are you sure it's the solicitor and not the vendor delaying? Solicitor can only respond to queries etc when their own client provides the information. It doesn't sound like the vendors are motivated

Mildura · 22/07/2022 13:17

courtrai · 22/07/2022 13:12

Playing devils advocate here - are you sure it's the solicitor and not the vendor delaying? Solicitor can only respond to queries etc when their own client provides the information. It doesn't sound like the vendors are motivated

I believe in this case the OP is the vendor.

Vendor = person selling

Buyer = person buying

SatinHeart · 22/07/2022 13:17

Set your EA on the buyer and their solicitor to find out what is really going on. Last year our buyers solicitor caused us to miss the last stamp duty deadline by being shit. Cost us several thousand 😡😡😡

Mildura · 22/07/2022 13:19

Get on to your estate agent and get them to find out exactly what is going on.

Sounds like you're trying to simultaneously exchange and complete, which does come with the potential for more complications.

Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:23

EA are on the buyers case also. They can never get hold of their solicitor apparently & are just as frustrated as us. I had this update earlier from our EA who we are selling with..

Buyers solicitors are useless!!
OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:25

My partner has had enough and wants to pull out but I do t want to throw thousands in fees we will still have to pay. It just seems that this could continue to happen and we can't do anything!!

OP posts:
Govesdancingpartner · 22/07/2022 13:26

SuperCamp · 22/07/2022 13:11

The Estate Agent can contact them!

The EA will be very keen to see this sale come to fruition, and should be doing all they can to progress the sale.

Get them to talk to your buyers, and your buyers sols, and get an update.

The Solicitors may not talk to the estate agents due to client confidentiality. It may not be the Solicitors fault, it may be the fact that their client has instructed them to slow down the process

Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:26

I am calling EA and solicitors every day and have been for the past 3 wks!! It's absolutely soul destroying

OP posts:
Frecklespy · 22/07/2022 13:31

Tryingtomove77

We accepted an offer on our property 1st April 2022. From the beginning our buyers solicitors have been slow and have had to be chased multiple times for replies which never came.

Your buyers solicitor asks the questions.
Your solicitor provides the replies.

Sounds like the buyers' solicitor is still not satisfied with some of the replies. It is up to the buyers' solicitor to do their due diligence and only when they are happy, will they proceed to exchange. Very much the buyers' solicitor's decision when exchange will be.

girlmom21 · 22/07/2022 13:32

Tell your buyer if you don't get an exchange date from their solicitor today you're pulling out. It worked for us.

Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:35

All of the queries were I error weeks ago! I looked at the trust pilot reviews, very very poor

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:42

It doesn't phase them. I've been copied into most of the emails that my solicitor has sent which have basically been very blunt and requesting an immediate exchange but nothing makes a difference. I sent an email to my solicitors yesterday & said we are now proposing completion on 28th july and if this fails to happen for a 4th time, we are out.

OP posts:
Tontostitis · 22/07/2022 13:42

We are in the same scenario we accepted an offer on April 12th answered all queries properly is empty, no chain. Buyers mortgage took ages and last week when we said enough we need to set a date they've asked for a Fire Safety Assessment I was told they didn't need but now apparently do. Also as its taken so long a whole new list of stuff to update. FSA being done today and then it's exchange or I'm putting it back on the market. I'll never sell to a 1st time buyer again.

girlmom21 · 22/07/2022 13:44

Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:42

It doesn't phase them. I've been copied into most of the emails that my solicitor has sent which have basically been very blunt and requesting an immediate exchange but nothing makes a difference. I sent an email to my solicitors yesterday & said we are now proposing completion on 28th july and if this fails to happen for a 4th time, we are out.

That's why your buyers need to kick up a fuss. The solicitor doesn't answer to you nor to your estate agent. They answer to their client.

Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:47

Bloody awful isn't it. We wouldn't be able to afford to market amd sell again. That would mean double solicitors fees..

OP posts:
Tontostitis · 22/07/2022 13:53

We will have to rent it out for a year to catch up I think so unfair all round

Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:57

I just don't know how they are allowed to practice. I've even looked I to if I can report them but I can't as it's our buyers solicitors

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:58

Out EA is on our buyers case daily..

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:59

Apparently they are just as frustrated as us

OP posts:
Mildura · 22/07/2022 14:00

It sounds like your buyers are just as much the cause of the problem as their solicitors.

If you were to re-market it is unlikely that you'd incur double solicitors fees as your own solicitor will have already done a lot of the work, they don't need to spend the same amount of time when another buyer is introduced.

girlmom21 · 22/07/2022 14:02

Tryingtomove77 · 22/07/2022 13:59

Apparently they are just as frustrated as us

If that was you and you couldn't get hold of your solicitors, what would you do?

You'd go to their offices and demand to be seen. You'd asked exactly what needs to happen before exchange and you'd refuse to leave until it's done.

If not, you'd change solicitors.

You wouldn't sit there saying "oh yeah it's annoying" to the estate agent.

Some people just have no initiate and it ruins the experience for everybody else, not even considering the exorbitant expenses you've mentioned.