solicitor not replying?! what next

[Sarahmills85]

Hi

nearly 12 weeks into purchase, there is a delay at top of chain, 3 of us in total. I spoke to EA 13th sept to be told there is a few enquiries and told we would get an update this week - now been told the solicitors haven't replied still, I said to EA what happens if we dont hear back by tomorrow she said all she can do is email to chase, I called the solicitor today to who previously informed me 'they dont deal with top of chain' they informed me today that solicitor isn't coming back to them with what enquiries are they cant advice on completion dates etc until top of chain has let them know what is going on with onward chain.

as we are at bottom of chain I dont know what our next steps are, we want to be in by October due to personal reasons. I just feel that the top of chain is pissing about & has useless solicitors, I feel powerless

any advice is appreciated, thank you

One more reason to use a well established sol and or one you have used before and or check their reviews etc before going for one.

OP - I hope it works out for you and the only thing I can suggest is go down there if they are local but call them first and say you need and update by the end of the day if not you will demand an update by visits as you've have no contact /update for xx weeks. Remain polite but assertive.

@Gentleman1 hiya - sorry i didn't make it clear, its not our solicitor, we are completed our side and the people selling to us, mortgage done searches done etc its the solicitors for the people at the top of the chain :(

Twelve weeks is quite quick for a purchase in a chain, plus the market has been very busy for the last two years. Did you make your vendor aware of your October timescale from the start? It's really up to their solicitor and/or estate agent to keep hassling the top of the chain.

hello@PragmaticWench we didn't no, we was told by the EA at the 6 week mark that we should be in by early Sept should have taken that with a pinch of salt really, we are FTB so a bit naïve in that sense, I have made our solicitor aware that should there not be a significant update from solicitors top of chain in next cpl of weeks then we will need to look at our options

It’s the agents job to chain chase - shift the responsibility back to them.

@Autumn2022 thank you they are so Lackadaisical about it all its a joke

Thanks OP
In that case get the EA to chase the others as it is in their interest and they bonly get paid when you have sold
As another poster said, 12 weeks is quick in a chain
Good luck.

As others have said, the EA will speak to the chain and your solicitor will only speak to solicitors/conveyancers involved in your own sale and purchase.

It is probably that the solicitors/conveyancers are awaiting the answers themselves. Don't make threats ('consider our options') that you are not prepared to go through with - it's unlikely you'll buy anywhere faster if you start again than wait for the chain to complete.

Never believe what the EA says about what is happening and when things will happen. It is literally nothing to do with them.

Your only real remedy is to threaten to pull out- I have done this in the past and the seller changed solicitors. He was using an absolutely terrible National firm (well known ambulance chasers) who offered to do it for an absolute pittance- so no wonder they were absolutely terrible. So I’d be suggesting that you need x, y and z by a date or you’ll pull out. This is relatively high risk though if you love the house so should be a last resort. Do you know the firm of solicitors in question? I also agree though that the estate agents should be pushing this on.

Don't threatened to pull out unless you mean it. I've pulled out of sales twice with no attempt to make me stay.

Estate agent should chase the chain but shouldn't be relied upon for much beyond that. I've found they have a tendency to tell you what you want to hear in terms of timelines and proceedability.

Searches and enquiries can take an age to be resolved. Vendors also lie - one of ours completely misrepresented their position. Solicitors also not often in a great hurry.

House buying is awful.

@Heronwatcher thank you, i have no idea who they are no, I didn't think it was my right to know but if im able to ask then I will ask the ea to give me a name