MNers some advice needed and a bit of a rant if im honest.
We've been trying to purchase a house, asking price offer accepted at the stsrt of June.
Took 10 weeks for the vendor to start paperwork with their solicitor so very delayed from the outset. They stated they were waiting for confirmation of our mortgage agreement (already in place three weeks after offer.)
Was hoping to exchange three weeks ago but a senior solicitor at the firm we engaged brought up a last minute query re the sewerage/drainage.
Vendor has not paid or been billed sewerage for ten years. Searches concluded no one (water board, vendor, council ) did not know, could not prove where the sewerage was going.
Our lender requires this information to continue. A survey has been booked (paid for by us) but vendor is refusing entry on advice from their solicitor.
Vendors solicitor sent an email last week claiming that we paid under market value and if we didn't exchange in the next week they'd put the house back on the market. Tone was horrible. Basically threatening the sale.
Email again today acusing us of registering DC at the local school using vendors address: not true.
Also claimed the vendor agreed an offer under the asking price because we were cash buyers: also not true
The solicitor also went on to say reiterate the drainage isn't the vendors issue and they won't engage in further negotiations until we exchange.
We can't move forward. I've been pushing for this sale since July. On the phone to EA and our solicitor three times a week.
The house is the only one in the village which has come on the market in the last two years. Nothing else in our price bracket or within five miles.
It very much feels the vendor's solicitor is actively working against the sale.
He advised the vendor not to submit any paperwork regarding a garage which was built three years ago but has no planning. Blankly refused to get indemnity- which we ended up paying for (or will upon completion). We also paid for a boiler service, another requirement of our lender which the solicitor advised the vendor not to do.
I'm absolutely devastated that this sale is falling apart. The EA talk to the vendor and then the solicitor changes their mind every time we get one step forward.
Sorry for such a long post.... it's been a really long 6 months.
Any advice welcome. Thanks.