Offer accepted but not seen HIPS - what to do?

sallycanwait

Richard that does ring a bell when I asked about it. Just wish they'd hurry up and get on with them as they've had the money 4+ weeks now!

Just received the HIP through so that's progress of sorts.:j

Have considered changing solicitors but realise this is a pointless exercise as it's the vendors' side that seems to be holding things up and I doubt they will be wanting to change at this stage.

Just spoke to the EA and explained that we were getting really concerned as we need to hand our notice in on our flat next week and be out by the end of October or we'll have to sign another 6 month lease which we obviously don't want to do. This seemed like the best way of kicking them into action - no threat yet but willing to make it clear that sale will fall through if we have to extend our flat contract... just hope it doesn't come to that as this is just bluffing at our end!

She said she'd do some investigating and get back to me.

We shall see...

Doozergirl

sallycanwait wrote: »

Just spoke to the EA and explained that we were getting really concerned as we need to hand our notice in on our flat next week and be out by the end of October or we'll have to sign another 6 month lease which we obviously don't want to do. This seemed like the best way of kicking them into action - no threat yet but willing to make it clear that sale will fall through if we have to extend our flat contract... just hope it doesn't come to that as this is just bluffing at our end!

You do not need to extend the tenancy for another six months. If you sign nothing then the existing agreement continues on a rolling basis - it's called a Statutory Periodic Tenancy. You are able to give one month's notice to your landlord at any point and they are able to give you two months. Also, you do not have to give any notice to leave on the date that your current agreement ends - you can just walk away on that day. If you go a day over then you need to give the correct notice.

The safest thing to do is if the purchase goes on longer than your fixed term, is to have four weeks between exchange and completion which gives you the opportunity to hand in your notice and hopefully a bit of time to move at your leisure after you've completed. It means you don't have to make yourself homeless.

sallycanwait

Oops sorry - wasn't clear enough - this is just a bluff to get them to hurry up. We don't have a periodic contract so only have to give notice when we want to leave, otherwise the flat is ours as long as we want it.

Hoping the estate agents are rubbish enough to not know this rule though. Can always try the "it's different in London" excuse if they question it though. Just needed something to use as a bargaining tool to speed things up! Was racking my brain trying to think of something I could use as a deadline and this was what came to me at 5am this morning!

Doozergirl

edgex wrote: »

You would both need to write to the agent & state that 'x must be done by x date'
they are working for you, your the ones that are paying them, make them do the job they are supposed to be doing.

It doesn't work like that. There are lots of things to be done and basically they all take place simultaneously - there are so many outside agencies involved that it often isn't in the solicitor's control as to when things come back to them. There are no 'stages'. If you tried to turn it into stages, it would end up taking longer than it already does.

No offense to EAs, but from the point that a sale is agreed, they can be superfluous to requirements. I find the more people involved, the more difficult it gets. I'm happy to chat with the buyer/vendor and my solicitor and get it all through that way. As long as you both know what the solicitors are saying to the other party, you can push your solicitor to respond and vice-versa.

OP you are probably not that far off. There often isn't a lot of communication but if you call your solicitor perhaps once a week and talk to the vendor the same then you'll find that you will get there. There doesn't seem to be any major issue so you'll probably just be surprised one day when they tell you they are ready to exchange/

anselld

When I completed earlier this year my solicitor advised that most HIP are not really worth the paper they are written on because they are generally done to a minimal standard just to meet legislation. He advised to complete all searches etc again. Might have been lining his pockets but he seemed genuinely convincing. Left me feeling HIP was just government bureacracy serving little or no purpose.

sallycanwait

As the HIP was done by the solicitor I am using does this in theory mean they don't have to do them again then and they are essentially being paid twice to do the one job? I get the feeling it's this!

chickmug

Richard_Webster wrote: »

Generally the deposit is largely to cover the cost of searches that have to be paid for.

I resisted saying this as the reply back could of been "They are in the HIP pack".

sallycanwait

I'm trying to find out how I stand on being charged for the searches that the solicitors have done for the HIP this month - waiting for a call back from solicitor. But surely if they themselves (even if it was another branch of the same firm) have done the searches and they were only done this month, surely I shouldn't need to pay another £2-300 for them to be done again? (the local search results were added to the index on 18 Sept so are as up to date as possible!)

This is obviously unusual as I can't find any info about this? Anyone know if I can insist on not having them repeated. All came back with no problems as expected so nothing that needs further investigation.

hostman

sallycanwait wrote: »

I'm trying to find out how I stand on being charged for the searches that the solicitors have done for the HIP this month - waiting for a call back from solicitor. But surely if they themselves (even if it was another branch of the same firm) have done the searches and they were only done this month, surely I shouldn't need to pay another £2-300 for them to be done again? (the local search results were added to the index on 18 Sept so are as up to date as possible!)

This is obviously unusual as I can't find any info about this? Anyone know if I can insist on not having them repeated. All came back with no problems as expected so nothing that needs further investigation.

If they are in the HIP then you don't need them again.

Richard_Webster

Maybe they routinely ask for a deposit to cover the cost of searches but will not actually use it or much of it if they have done the HIP.

Also depends on your mortgage lender. The solicitors may have done insurance backed personal searches for the HIP to keep the price down for their seller client but your lender may require official searches.