Warning - do not use wolstenholmes solicitors
Comments
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My first post on this...
I've just spoken to DWF and been advised that they have finished cataloging Wolstenholmes live files/cases, but that my file has not been found.
This is really worrying, as although we completed successfully (7th December), our estate agent hasnt been paid his fee and our stamp duty was never paid to the Stamp office - both are now late payments - nor the land registry updated, and my new solicitor is struggling to get anywhere without my file.
DWF advise that it will take them months to catalogue the closed cases, and there doesnt seem to be any way for them to quickly locate my case (if it is in the closed case list at all - might just be missing full stop!).
If anyone else has encountered this I'd be interest to hear. Also if anyone has any advise generally - I'm worried my claim to the SRA fund will not be accepted if my case file cannot be found by DWF (hopefully tracing of monies in and out of the Wolstenholmes accounts is sufficient for them to be able to pay out, SRA seem unclear on this).
R/e SRA intervention - would be great if the process initially prevented a bad solicitor from taking on new clients, but still allowed them to clear backlog of open cases themselves (or even obliged them to), to prevent some of this disruption to existing customers...
My sympathies to everyone else who has been impacted by this.0 -
My first post on this...
I've just spoken to DWF and been advised that they have finished cataloging Wolstenholmes live files/cases, but that my file has not been found.
This is really worrying, as although we completed successfully (7th December), our estate agent hasnt been paid his fee and our stamp duty was never paid to the Stamp office - both are now late payments - nor the land registry updated, and my new solicitor is struggling to get anywhere without my file.
DWF advise that it will take them months to catalogue the closed cases, and there doesnt seem to be any way for them to quickly locate my case (if it is in the closed case list at all - might just be missing full stop!).
If anyone else has encountered this I'd be interest to hear. Also if anyone has any advise generally - I'm worried my claim to the SRA fund will not be accepted if my case file cannot be found by DWF (hopefully tracing of monies in and out of the Wolstenholmes accounts is sufficient for them to be able to pay out, SRA seem unclear on this).
R/e SRA intervention - would be great if the process initially prevented a bad solicitor from taking on new clients, but still allowed them to clear backlog of open cases themselves (or even obliged them to), to prevent some of this disruption to existing customers...
My sympathies to everyone else who has been impacted by this.
If he hasn't already done so then I suggest your new solicitor contacts your sellers solicitors for copies of relevant documents and for a new transfer from his clients. Hopefuly they will be willing to co-operate without charge. One problem area could be if you have a mortgage which of course will now be lost together with any searches which should have been carried out to satisfy your lender's requirements. Your lenders should be willing to co-operate with your new solicitors and if you can find out who Wolstenholmes search providers were you may be able to persuade them to assist as well. Your new solicitors should persue that as well. I have already posed this question once on the site, but does anyone know who were Wolstenholmes search providers? There may of course be some searches in the HIPs but are they still current or are they otherwise acceptable to your lender. Your solicitor should advise.0 -
RE: Brahan Seer request above regarding Search Providers: The searches received from Wolstenholmes re my purchase appear to have been obtained by:-
Legal Brokers Ltd
1 Turton Road
Tottington
Bury
BL8 4AW
A contact there is Mr Matthew Hague
Hope this helps0 -
RE: Brahan Seer request above regarding Search Providers: The searches received from Wolstenholmes re my purchase appear to have been obtained by:-
Legal Brokers Ltd
1 Turton Road
Tottington
Bury
BL8 4AW
A contact there is Mr Matthew Hague
Hope this helps
This jogged my memory. Wolstenholmes commissioned a HIP for me in November 2009 and also used Legal Brokers Ltd. (Matthew Hague and Jon Hilton).
Some additional contact information:
LEGAL BROKERS LIMITEDThe Old Police StationE-mail: [EMAIL="admin@legalbrokers.co.uk"]admin@legalbrokers.co.uk[/EMAIL]
1 Turton Road
Tottington,
Bury
Lancashire
BL8 4AW
Tel: 0845 603 0708
Website: http://www.legalbrokers.co.uk/0 -
Catwoman8950 wrote: »This jogged my memory. Wolstenholmes commissioned a HIP for me in November 2009 and also used Legal Brokers Ltd. (Matthew Hague and Jon Hilton).
Some additional contact information:LEGAL BROKERS LIMITEDE-mail: [EMAIL="admin@legalbrokers.co.uk"]admin@legalbrokers.co.uk[/EMAIL]
The Old Police Station
1 Turton Road
Tottington,
Bury
Lancashire
BL8 4AW
Tel: 0845 603 0708
Website: http://www.legalbrokers.co.uk/
Legal Brokers are probably Wolstenholmes HIP providers but it will have been necessary for Wolstenholmes to carry out additional searches and possibly even duplicate some of the searches in the HIP if these were not Lender compliant. Many solicitors use one of the nlis search providers such as Searchflow. Can any of Wolstenholmes' former employees who are following this thread enlighten us?0 -
Brahan_seer wrote: »Legal Brokers are probably Wolstenholmes HIP providers but it will have been necessary for Wolstenholmes to carry out additional searches and possibly even duplicate some of the searches in the HIP if these were not Lender compliant. Many solicitors use one of the nlis search providers such as Searchflow. Can any of Wolstenholmes' former employees who are following this thread enlighten us?
I think I've just found the answer to my own question. The nlis website shows Searchflow as the only current search providers via the nlis hub, so the first port of call for anyone missing searches which they think have been carried out may be Searchflow to see if Searchflow have carried out any searches on the propety in question. I don't know how amenable Searchflow will be. Has anyone or their solicitors tried this yet?0 -
I've been told today that DWF does no have my file. They claim to have another pile of closed cases which they will go and check within next month. This is no good at all. How could Mathew Roberts close it? The LR definetly dont have my name on the house and I have sent a letter to HM Ravenue to check for SD. This is so bad that I do need to see a doctor.
I was planning to instruct the seller's solicitor to act of my behalf now and finish this off. I am just worried as I need to find additional founds now to finance this then hope for SRA compensation. What on earth was WH plan buy not finishing the cases? How did they think they gona get away with it? I just done get their game.0 -
I've been told today that DWF does no have my file. They claim to have another pile of closed cases which they will go and check within next month. This is no good at all. How could Mathew Roberts close it? The LR definetly dont have my name on the house and I have sent a letter to HM Ravenue to check for SD. This is so bad that I do need to see a doctor.
I was planning to instruct the seller's solicitor to act of my behalf now and finish this off. I am just worried as I need to find additional founds now to finance this then hope for SRA compensation. What on earth was WH plan buy not finishing the cases? How did they think they gona get away with it? I just done get their game.
Hi
I was advised by the sellers solicitor that as they had an intrest in the property they would not take on the case.Even if we were to use another solicitor from the same firm0 -
Just received thisIn response to your email below, on matters where we did not receive consent from clients to act for them, these files have been sent to DWF Solicitors in Manchester as they have now been appointed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to act on behalf of Wolstenholmes, therefore your file has been sent to them, a member of their team collected the files from this office late yesterday afternoon.
If you would like to collect your file and the deeds you will need to liaise with DWF and they can be contacted on 0161 603 5000, the person that you need to contact is
With regard to obtaining a refund from Wolstenholmes, you will need to get in touch with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on 0870 606 2555 and you can also email them at [EMAIL="contactcentre@sra.org.uk"]contactcentre@sra.org.uk[/EMAIL]
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Brahan_seer wrote: »I think I've just found the answer to my own question. The nlis website shows Searchflow as the only current search providers via the nlis hub, so the first port of call for anyone missing searches which they think have been carried out may be Searchflow to see if Searchflow have carried out any searches on the propety in question. I don't know how amenable Searchflow will be. Has anyone or their solicitors tried this yet?
Don't know if this helps but Wolstenholmes didn't arrange the HIP on my purchase - they obtained further searches via Legal Brokers Ltd from Home Check Professional (Environmental Report) & The Coal Authority Mining Reports Office0
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