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Horrible conveyancers

10 replies

Lattims83 · 11/10/2023 22:50

We are in the process of purchasing a property, something that is seeming less likely to happen by the day. Anyway, some back story, we used a solicitor who was recommended to us by the estate agent and all seemed to be going well. Then we received an email from the solicitor a few months ago stating that the developer of property we are purchasing has also chosen to switch their solicitor to use the same as us and then a bunch more nonsense about how this won't be a conflict of interest, there will be a division in the firm between who works for who and things would even move faster now bc of this. We said fine. Well, things didn't move faster , they were still just as useless and now 3 weeks before we are meant to complete on the day we were meant to exchange (our mortgage agreement expires at the end of October) we have received an email stating that the conveyancer can no longer represent us due to a conflict of interest. We have a signed letter from them saying this wouldn't happen and now we will lose our house bc of their incompetence. Is there anything we can do legally? Do we have any recourse other than slating them on every website possible, which I will absolutely be doing?

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Japanesejazz · 11/10/2023 23:07

You can say who they are for a start

KievLoverTwo · 12/10/2023 00:56

It's only a conflict of interest if they literally only have one conveyencer free in the firm. If there are two different conveyancers then there are two separate lawyers to represent each party and it will not be a conflict of interest.

I recommend you push back and insist they find a conveyencer for each of you within the firm because you cannot condone this time delay.

I suspect what has happened is they are overworked and can't find a spare person to work for one of you.

By the way, EAs get large fees for recommending conveyancers, that's why you have ended up in this situation. They are responsible for holding the sale together, tell them THEY must make sure a person is assigned to each of you within the firm.

Twiglets1 · 12/10/2023 08:24

Phone up the office and say you want to make a formal complaint. Speak to a senior person in the company and say this is unacceptable and you will be complaining to the Law Society unless they find a way to sort it out. Maybe the person acting for you is overwhelmed/sick/ left the company but they have to find you a replacement.

Lattims83 · 12/10/2023 10:24

Japanesejazz · 11/10/2023 23:07

You can say who they are for a start

elite conveyancing in cambridge

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Lattims83 · 12/10/2023 10:30

Twiglets1 · 12/10/2023 08:24

Phone up the office and say you want to make a formal complaint. Speak to a senior person in the company and say this is unacceptable and you will be complaining to the Law Society unless they find a way to sort it out. Maybe the person acting for you is overwhelmed/sick/ left the company but they have to find you a replacement.

I have called and am waiting for a call back from the head of legal. Let's see if they can do anything. Thanks for your comment and help!

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Twiglets1 · 12/10/2023 12:53

Lattims83 · 12/10/2023 10:30

I have called and am waiting for a call back from the head of legal. Let's see if they can do anything. Thanks for your comment and help!

That’s ok, I hope you get a positive response from the head of legal

Reallybadidea · 12/10/2023 12:56

Are you in the Cambridge area? We had a similar-ish issue last year when our solicitor from a sole-conveyancer firm became critically ill with less than 4 weeks to go to mortgage expiry. We found a local conveyancer who managed to get us over the line with a few days to spare. Feel free to pm me if you want their details.

Lattims83 · 12/10/2023 17:06

KievLoverTwo · 12/10/2023 00:56

It's only a conflict of interest if they literally only have one conveyencer free in the firm. If there are two different conveyancers then there are two separate lawyers to represent each party and it will not be a conflict of interest.

I recommend you push back and insist they find a conveyencer for each of you within the firm because you cannot condone this time delay.

I suspect what has happened is they are overworked and can't find a spare person to work for one of you.

By the way, EAs get large fees for recommending conveyancers, that's why you have ended up in this situation. They are responsible for holding the sale together, tell them THEY must make sure a person is assigned to each of you within the firm.

After some more conversations it seems that not only do they not communicate but are incompetent and didn't do any due diligence so continuing with them even if they found someone doesn't fill us with confidence. We may have to suck it up and pay the higher rate for piece of mind from a solicitor who knows how to do their job.

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KievLoverTwo · 12/10/2023 17:19

Lattims83 · 12/10/2023 17:06

After some more conversations it seems that not only do they not communicate but are incompetent and didn't do any due diligence so continuing with them even if they found someone doesn't fill us with confidence. We may have to suck it up and pay the higher rate for piece of mind from a solicitor who knows how to do their job.

That could be said for most conveyancers recommended by EAs. I avoid them like the plague.

Still sorry you are going through this though.

Lattims83 · 12/10/2023 18:00

KievLoverTwo · 12/10/2023 17:19

That could be said for most conveyancers recommended by EAs. I avoid them like the plague.

Still sorry you are going through this though.

Yeah, will definitely never make that mistake again!

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