Warning - do not use wolstenholmes solicitors

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I have found out today tha WH has instructed Roney & Co to act on my behalf wiht HMIR and forge the SD declaring the purchase price below the 175 K. I also find out that lots of files were sent out before intervention to different companies without anyone's consent.

So for all of us waiting for fill to be found - may never be found - so I was told by DFW.


P.S. The HMIR wants to charge me now penalty on a top of tax plus interest for not paying it! Excelent!

anotherproblem

Horrified_Solicitor wrote: »

Try http://www.gordonsllp.com/ Their phone number is 0845 273 3080

I rang them today and apparantly they do have some more files that have come to light that they are going through. (that is Gordons LLP) My understanding is its mostly completed sales. Mine was not there but they will have others. So thats WH, DWF, Stirling Law and Gordons LLP so far still no file. But others might have more luck.

rfsp

anotherproblem wrote: »

I rang them today and apparantly they do have some more files that have come to light that they are going through. (that is Gordons LLP) My understanding is its mostly completed sales. Mine was not there but they will have others. So thats WH, DWF, Stirling Law and Gordons LLP so far still no file. But others might have more luck.

Horrified_Solicitor wrote: »

Try http://www.gordonsllp.com/ Their phone number is 0845 273 3080

Catwoman8950 wrote: »

Can't find "Gordon LLP" listed on the Law Society website. Can you give more details? Just interested to know who is involved in all this. Does anyone know where the latest 1000 files were being kept that DWF have just found?

anotherproblem wrote: »

Hi thats a new one Have you a phone number for gordon LLP please I am still looking for files. Thank you

Apologies! as i forgot to mention their address...

Victoria Davey
of
Gordons LLP
14 Picadilly,
Bradford,
BD1 3LX

Tel: 01274 202164

Catwoman8950

Horrified_Solicitor wrote: »

Try http://www.gordonsllp.com/ Their phone number is 0845 273 3080

Thanks, found them. I see they are in Yorkshire.

isayoldchap

Hi Everyone
Please don't shoot me down in flames.
Some posters are saying they will have to pay a new solicitor fees and then try to claim these back.This could amount to more than they paid Wolstenholmes.

I was advised by LCS that it is not absolutely sure whether I would get back all the fees and even whether Wolstenholmes insurers would pay the difference.
This appears to be a grey area.As Wolstenholmes charged me 179 plus vat to buy and the same to sell,I just need the registration with the Land Registry/Inland Revenue to be completed and any remaining deeds etc.

I also put this to my new solicitors that I just appointed sighting that it will be important for me to pay the lowest charges to actually complete.I was even prepared to shop around.
So they came back to me (this is where you are going to shoot me down............)
They said they will not be charging me any fees and they will claim all the money back from SRA/LCS for me.
They said they feel we have gone through enough problems and don't want to make things worst.
I can if I wanted to pay the Stamp duty and Land Registry again but I have decided to just submit my compensation claim to the SRA through their office.(Please note I am not using 'Fridays' firm who are saying they will check for free with the Land Registry.This is completely different.)

I am due to post my application form and as soon as I get confirmation in writing from my new solicitors I will put their names up on the site.
I know it may sound unfair to some at this stage but I must get it through stage one of the processing first.

I was thinking about using my House Insurance Legal Policy to make a claim against them all if there were problems getting any outstanding money back including all the intrest I am claiming for whereby Wolstenholmes not only asked my mortgage company four days too early for the advance costing me intrest from 4.39%-5.14% whilst the money was earning them intrest in their account but also for holding a large cheque in their accounts for over three weeks after the completion and then they sent it to the address we had moved from.Even LCS have advised me by letter that it is unclear whether any of this would be compensated.SRA Claims Management are even cautious what they say on the phone 01926 487015.We will see

mjmal51

isayoldchap wrote: »

Hi Everyone

Some posters are saying they will have to pay a new solicitor fees and then try to claim these back.This could amount to more than they paid Wolstenholmes.

I was advised by LCS that it is not absolutely sure whether I would get back all the fees and even whether Wolstenholmes insurers would pay the difference.
This appears to be a grey area.
I also put this to my new solicitors that I just appointed sighting that it will be important for me to pay the lowest charges to actually complete.I was even prepared to shop around.
So they came back to me (this is where you are going to shoot me down............)
They said they will not be charging me any fees and they will claim all the money back from SRA/LCS for me.


.Even LCS have advised me by letter that it is unclear whether any of this would be compensated.SRA Claims Management are even cautious what they say on the phone 01926 487015.We will see

Surely this means that the new solicitors are confident that between them the SRA/LCS will be paying out, including the extra fees? There is no way they will be doing the work for nothing at the end of it.
SRA/LCS are woeful in the way they are responding to specific claims queries, exactly which each organisation is going to pay for what and even if they will pay.

keiran

""SRA/LCS are woeful in the way they are responding to specific claims queries, exactly which each organisation is going to pay for what and even if they will pay"""

Couldn't agree more

You'd think that after their clear and miserable failure in regulation, the least the SRA and its accomplices ( LCS, Law Society, etc) could do would be to sort out the mess they contributed to in a timely, efficient "one-stop" manner to cause the least further work and inconvenience to those affected by its failures.


I did manage to complete my sale a few days before the collapse of Wolstenholmes. Whilst thankful, I did suffer huge amounts of incompetence and tardiness.


I initially registered a claim with the Legal Complaints Service, but have now withdrawn it . Why?

1) The LCS requires detailed info on the inactions, inefficiences, lateness, etc etc of Wolstenholmes. Whilst I can provide this, it seems like a lot of extra work. - Surely the SRA/LCS have enough evidence from numerous sources to indicate the types of problems encountered and that these problems were wide-spread??

2) After I had provided all this info, they could still have come back to me again and again to ask for more info. - I'm not prepared to devote so much time and energy to this

3) They would disclose my claim to the partners of Wolstenhomes for any response. Whilst of course I understand this is only just, surely no person thinks that the partners will be in a position to reply to each and every submission in any detail? But this will cause further delay

4) The main thrust of my claim would be lateness of 18 days in the completion. This would give exact and verifiable costs of unnecessary interest paid to the lender and service charges to the management company, and the interest I would have earned on the equity amount for 18 days.
The advice I received from the LCS is that I would only be compensated for the EXPECTATION of completion 18 days earlier than I would have thought/liked as there is no way it could be proved that even a competent firm would have completed on the day I had suggested!!!!
Furthermore, rather than take a "likely" view of the expected date of completion, they would take no view which seems to be the worse option in decision making.

5) This means that my compensation would be limited to the issues of incompetence and inactions I could provide, and the disappointment of an expectation of earlier completion
I read the case summaries on the website and concluded that I would probably be awarded something like £250

6) I was told that the LCS decision would go to the partners who would probably be in no position to pay.
It would then be incumbent on me to write to the insurers myself (though I was told this would be a straightforward matter of writing, enclosing the decision of the LCS and that the insurers would certainly pay up then)

7) So I concluded that the costs to me in terms of time, work, constant awareness of where in the process we were, etc etc was not justified and that I should be thankful that I did escape relatively unscathed.

I really don't think that those who have suffered should be subjected to all this extra work and uncertainty

These lawyers could have dealt with this fiasco in such a way as to instill confidence and trust in the legal profession (which let's face it no one likes)
Instead, true to form, they have made a legal nightmare out of it and no doubt found more work for other lawyers.


I have now heard from my MP, with whom I had raised the SRA's failures . The Chief Executive, Anthony Townsend, says he is "looking into these matters and will respond more fully as soon as I am able"
I'm not expecting any meaningful or enlightening response
I have no doubt these knut lawyers will enact a good whitewash

I think all lawyers should be incinerated to provide heating for the elderly

silvermatter

Thanks to all the messages here I was aware they Wostenholmes were going to be a serious problem, unfortunately they had my deposit , when I could not get any contact for weeks I switched to a local soliitor to complete my purchase. I then tried to get my £300 back eventually got a contact name of Asma Quyum, and surprise she was not in the office, but I e mailed and it was picked up by the head of Complaints a Helen Murgatroyd , who e mailed me backed saying she would refund the money, that was November, then no further contact. I have just got my money back through my credit card company, which was a great relief.
[
QUOTE=amazelucy;discussion/1792897]Hi All

I just wanted to vent some frustration and let you all know please never even consider using Wolstenholmes Solicitors LLP!!

They are acting for the sellers of our house and they are the most dreadful, disorganised solicitors I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. They leave their assistants to do EVERYTHING and you can never ever get hold of the actual people. Our fantastic sollicitor has had to explain in minute legal detail each and everytime she has needed something! She has even had emails back saying "we dont understand".

Our estate agents informed us they had never dealt with them until recently and have suddenly dealt with them 4 times recently - apparently because they offer a cheap online deal!!

Please everyone - it is not worth saving a hundred quid for all the stress and hassle this bunch of idiots (who must have bought their degrees online) will cause you when buying or selling a house.

Thanks

Lucy[/QUOTE]

anotherproblem

keiran wrote: »

""

I think all lawyers should be incinerated to provide heating for the elderly

But not

Horrified Solicitor

Surely, at least he tries to help


Lets stick with incinarating those that fleece us or do what WH have done - even I think there must be some reliable ones out there. I haven't employed one yet but there must be.!!!!!

The latest from my newly appointed (dont pick the phone up or I will up the bill and get nasty :mad:) Solicitor is that she rang with tidings of great joy. All happy and enthusiastic she tells me she's got my deeds and my file. So I say - "well yes I know" - she says, "how". Its mind boggling I did all the research,(and thanks to the forum) found the files and the deeds were at DWF (only my files still not the sellors) nagged (demanded that) DWF to release them, filled the paperwork in. I even provided copies with the originals of the driving licence and utility bill that was required so that she could do her bit without being put out too much. And two weeks later she doesn't understand why I am not throwing a party because she's got the paperwork from DWF. Now the property will be registered with a defective title no Indemnity policy, no statutory declaration from the sellers and other bits and peices that was agreed before the completion because the sellors file still has not been found. I am going to have to deal with that later and could end up with big problems at a future date.

papermoney

It's been a while since i've been on here and only by chance I found this thread. I used WH in July 2009. My parents were buying my house and we were using the same solicitor. It was a nightmare. It has since come to light that they requested the deposit and money from my parents mortgage on the 17th August and said we had completed. I find out from my mortgage company that they did not receive the money (to pay the house off) until the 9th September. I have no idea where the money was in the meantime.

My parents received a letter today from the Inland Rev saying they have been fined or owe (im yet to see the letter) because some form which needed to be completed by October 2009 hasn't been. Of course my parents knew nothing of this and assumed WH had done everything they should have done. She's now having to provide information to show that she did transfer the money to WH.

I've not managed to read the whole thread so unsure when things really came to a head with WH. I know in September I had a missed phone call from a Farah who worked there (on a Friday) and when I phoned Monday morning I was told she had left! All very bizarre.