We want to exchange this week but...

Ultranol_2

So we're finally ready to exchange - we're FTBs, no chain, all queries pretty much answered (just waiting for them to confirmed in writing), completion date agreed with vendor and vendor wanting to exchange this week as well - BUT our solicitor seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth and we haven't even seen a draft of the contract yet. I've been chasing the solicitors assistant who is being frustratingly vague...are we being unrealistic to hope to exchange this week?! I have no idea what's holding it up!

pastmybest

If you are letting off steam fine but no one here can tell you where your solicitor has gone?

Did you ask, when you called, where he was - with clients - in court - day holiday - off sick?

Who says you are ready to exchange as the ONLY person who can confirm this fact is your solicitor - not the EA - not the vendor - certainly not you.

So you need to speak to your solicitor, or insist someone else in their office does talk to you in more detail. You need to assert yourself to establish the real facts.

greenface

go and knock on their door and ask what you are paying for

seabright

If your solicitor is still waiting for queries to be answered in writing, then that's probably the hold up.

Until the written replies arrive, the answers given cannot be relied upon. Until the written replies arrive your solicitor probably won't be able to finish the Report on Title, which will be sent to you with the contract. You will then read the Report, make your final decision on whether or not to go ahead, and sign the contract & give your solicitor the deposit. Then, when the deposit has cleared, you'll be ready to exchange.

Then, you just have to hope the others in the chain are ready too, even if there are only two parties in the chain, they both have to be ready and have agreed a completion date.

Is your deposit ready & available? If so, why not transfer the funds to your solicitor now, so that there's no delay waiting for the money to be transferred and/or cleared. You can ask them to hold in on their deposit account, so you'll earn (a little) interest.

Ultranol_2

Thank you, that's very helpful to know as we're feeling completely in the dark about what's going on at the moment! Our solicitor hasn't been particularly good at keeping us in the loop.

The vendor has confirmed that she is ready to exchange, and we've agreed a completion date already so that's one thing. I guess she needs to chase her solicitor to provide the written replies...

maryanne209

We are in exactly the same position as you, our buyer wants to proceed,we have been waiting for over three months, and for the last three days no-one knows where our solicitor (or caseworker) is and we couldnt get any answer, and our estate agent couldn't either. If someone could offer us any advice it would be welcome.

pastmybest

Ultranol wrote: »

Thank you, that's very helpful to know as we're feeling completely in the dark about what's going on at the moment! Our solicitor hasn't been particularly good at keeping us in the loop.

The vendor has confirmed that she is ready to exchange, and we've agreed a completion date already so that's one thing. I guess she needs to chase her solicitor to provide the written replies...

Who is the we?

Is it you and your solicitor which is fine.

BUT if it is you and your vendor NOT fine. Not unless the date, the two of you agreed, was endorsed by your two respective solicitors.

It takes two to tango but only if your professionals have said they can do the date you both want.

Richard_Webster

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultranol
Thank you, that's very helpful to know as we're feeling completely in the dark about what's going on at the moment! Our solicitor hasn't been particularly good at keeping us in the loop.

The vendor has confirmed that she is ready to exchange, and we've agreed a completion date already so that's one thing. I guess she needs to chase her solicitor to provide the written replies...
Who is the we?

Is it you and your solicitor which is fine.

BUT if it is you and your vendor NOT fine. Not unless the date, the two of you agreed, was endorsed by your two respective solicitors.

It takes two to tango but only if your professionals have said they can do the date you both want.

Oh how I want to echo that!

martindow

But, whatever the situation, solicitors, who are being paid by the OP, should not 'disappear'.

There would be no worry or uncertainty here if the solicitor or a colleague told their client what is going on.

pastmybest

martindow wrote: »

But, whatever the situation, solicitors, who are being paid by the OP, should not 'disappear'.

There would be no worry or uncertainty here if the solicitor or a colleague told their client what is going on.

But has the OP called and asked the question - where IS my solicitor?

As I said ask the firm not this NG.

Ultranol_2

Well after 3 days of trying to reach our solicitor (after being told every time we rang that she was out of the office or at lunch!) she has finally got in touch and told us that they haven’t received our mortgage offer – which is why there is the hold up. Why couldn’t they have told us days ago so we could have chased it up?!