Just furious with vendors solicitors and need advice

[theclampits]

Offer accepted on our sale 14th April, our sale is now ready and we have ftb waiting to move in.
our purchase is not ready because the vendors solicitors have really been slow, we still haven’t got the draft contracts, and they’ve only just realised they don’t have the deeds and nor do the elderly vendors, so this means an application to the land registry is needed because the house is also unregistered.
I was told by the estate agent that the vendors needed to make a statement of truth along with the evidence they have that they are the official owners of the property, which I have bought doubt about btw, been there since the 60’s raised their children there, they’ve just misplaced the deeds. I actually spoke to the vendor yesterday and she seems to think she found the deeds a couple of weeks ago and took them down to the solicitors, but she hasn’t been asked to make a statement of truth, didn’t know what that was about.
So it seems the solicitors haven’t got off their arse and done anything about this problem yet.
Im just so frustrated as we don’t want to lose our buyers, we’re thinking maybe we can move into a short term rental, but there isn’t any of those about ! Also I don’t want anyone credit checking us as I don’t know if that’s going to affect our mortgage offer.
please tell me what I should do 😭 I’m not willing to walk away from this house as it is the one, the problem is the solicitors not doing things fast enough !!!

You are willing to go into rented but as there are no short term rentals available, have you considered hiring a motorhome? Not ideal but if there are sites near you where you could put up it might be an option.

I did think about this but here would be put it ? lol
also we have a van and a car to park somewhere !

I know logically I should just wait, and I have no choice too really but I am just frustrated with how slow the vendors solicitors have been, I’ve been told twice now by the estate agent that two separate people are on holiday, so does the office just shut down when people go on holiday or something ? This is what’s getting me, the fact the paperwork for the land registry hasn’t been sent off, they’ve had two whole weeks since being handed the vendors evidence of ownership, and they’ve done absolutely nothing with it.

Get an air bnb or rent a caravan

If you want to wait for the house you will have to go into normal rental, credit check is neither here or there, but this could all take longer than your mortgage offer anyway, especially if probate is required, if the vendor dies, before the property becomes available, we're talking at least 6 months.

I’ve been looking, there is nothing around here. I have to stay local for nursery and school so it complicates things.
there is a couple of things on booking.com in the town centre holiday let type things and I’m waiting to here back from that. I was going to ask the estate agent if they could sort a short term rental, do you think they’d help?

Will a credit check affect mortgage offer ? It expires 30th November so I’m hoping it’ll all be sorted by then.

I can't think that this would affect the offer, as I don't think it's the same as a lending credit (hard) check. If it even showed up, I think it would be a soft search.

I know where you're coming from re the situation. It's not that you have to wait, that's a given, it's that nobody has started the ball rolling on what needs to be done. That would wind me up too.

They may be able to help, they have relationships with landlords etc, they may be able to do something for you, worth an ask.

There's nothing worse when solicitors drag their heels. We once bought a house and it dragged on for months because of solicitors and we ended up moving house Christmas Eve Eve when it should have been November.

You need to get the agents to do the deal chasing as that’s what they’re there for. Depends how much use your agent is though.

The agents need to ask the seller’s sols very specific questions. If the response is that “it’s being dealt with”, that’s no use. If the seller is putting in a first registration application then they need to send a copy of the submitted application and confirmation that the expedition request has been accepted.

Your solicitor can then have a look and give you a view.

If one of the couple were to die before completion, it will depend how the property is held ie joint tenants or tenants in common - but you’ll have no way of knowing this before your sol sees the submitted application.

The Land Registry delays have been awful but are a bit better. A first registration application is not an easy one but if you’re buying the last house in a row of registered titles that’s better than buying part of a field with complicated boundaries.

Don't hold your breath, I put an application in to the LR to have a name removed from a joint title after their death, very simple matter, 3 months!!

Also bear in mind that if the sellers DH dies all will be well if it is held as joint tenants but if tenants in common it will have to go through probate - if that position cannot be established because its not registered and his will makes any provision ie "life interest" then all hell may break loose.

If there is no deeds and no land registry documentation they are neither joint tenants or tenants in common. If the husband dies before it goes through then half will be deemed owned by his estate and half by the wife, and that would be tenants in common, probate would then have to go through for the sale.

If your solicitor is ignoring you can you get your DH to ring? Me and my DH had to tag team our rubbish ones unfortunately they took him a lot more seriously than they did me

"My solicitor seems unbothered. I rang her 3 times Monday and I just felt like I was just pissing her off to be honest ."

3 times? Of course she'd be pissed off.

Get the agents to do all the work, they've got a vested interest in concluding the sale.

So what are we paying them nearly 3 grand for ?

Anyway. My agent has now told me to send an email to my solicitor with a completion date, she is going to tell our buyers the same date and also get them to email their solicitors, our vendors have got removals booked for this date so we’re all going for the same date.
I also found out that vendors solicitors have got a copy of the vendors deeds, they just haven’t done anything about it. So estate agent has said herself they need a massive kick up the arse by threatening to pull out.

There is deeds, a copy of them .

No real advice, but good luck. (I'm trying to sell my house too.)

Just out of curiosity, are the solicitors (yours or theirs) one of those franchise-type chains with no local connections? I bought a house from someone who used one once and they were dreadfully slow.

Also, as a PP suggested, encourage the agent to work for you. They want their money and if they make enough fuss, it can help. (Ask me how I know :>)

Also I rang my solicitor 3 times for legal advice, isn’t that what we’re paying them for ? Anyone would think they’re doing it for free!

Hi, the agent has been really good to be honest , she’s been the most helpful out of everyone !

No the vendors solicitors are a local firm, dreadful they really are

That's encouraging!

Hope it all works out - I was watching one of those 'New Life in the Country' TV progs this week and one the properties was to be sold at auction. I immediately thought 'Damn. I wish I'd thought of that.'