Solicitors

AlyWeller

Hi, First time buyer looking for some guidance.

We recentley had an offer accepted on a house and instructed our solicitor to start the conveyancing two weeks a go.

In that time I have not heard from her once and have had numuerous emails and phone calls ignored with her either with clients, not there or some other excuse. She then never rings me back regardless of how many times I ring that day.

I then find out today she has contacted the estate agents to let them know everything is going through fine and we should be able to exchange by the end of the week.

This has got me really worried seeing as I haven't even spoken to her. Is it possible she is working on the side of the vendor to push it through? I find it ridiculous that I am going to end up paying them about a grand and I haven't even spoken to her since I met her!

Any thoughts and guidance on what I should do would be appreciated. I am considering putting in a complaint at the end

princessamy86

This all sounds a bit odd to me! I am assuming you are buying with a mortgage? Have you had your survey done? I'd be very surprised if your solicitor had managed to get you exchange ready, without speaking to you, in 2 weeks. It's do-able, but only just, and if you hadn't requested that it was a very speedy transaction then I would be surprised if she would bust a gut to get it through quickly. Can you ask to speak to someone more senior than her at the practice? Solicitors can be absolute hell to get hold of but the bottom line is that she is working for you and as such I think you have a right to speak to her. Have you had your contract to sign yet?

AlyWeller

I agree I have found it very odd and my parents, who obviously have more experience of buying, do to.

Yes we are buying with a mortgage and have had the survey done by the bank and the surveyor, both came back absolutely fine.

The people selling are in a rush to sell as the lady is heavily pregnant and they want to move in to their new house - one of the terms of our offer being accepted was that it went through asap.

So to a certain extent I'm not that suprised that she is supposedly nearly ready for us to exchange by the end of this week but I get the feeling they aren't a 'bust a gut' kind of person given that she has never bothered to return our phone calls etc. It has just worried me that I have had no updates of how things are progressing and now supposedly things are ready. It is her lack of response which has really annoyed me as, like you said, she is working for me.

I have got the number of someone more senior but I didn't want to contact them and risk annoying her?

I just wondered if it is normal to never hear from your solicitors between insturcting them and exchanging?

Leory

was the solicitor recomended by the estate agent or one that you sourced yourself?

sarah_elton

Our solicitor sent us a load of bumph when we first instructed her (process, terms of business etc).

We then got intermittent documents as she received them (fixtures and fittings form, searches etc).

Finally, we got a long letter when she felt comfortable with exchanging, reporting on all her findings on the house, enclosing various other documents and the contract for us to sign.

Your solicitor can't exchange without your say-so (signing and returning the contract). You should definitely have seen things like the searches (if ordered) and fixtures and fittings form and be happy with them prior to exchange.

Maybe it's just that yours will send all this to you in one big go, with the contracts to sign... Wait and see what you get from her but if anything is missing or if you are unsure about anything, don't sign until you've discussed it with her.

princessamy86

AlyWeller wrote: »

I agree I have found it very odd and my parents, who obviously have more experience of buying, do to.

Yes we are buying with a mortgage and have had the survey done by the bank and the surveyor, both came back absolutely fine.

The people selling are in a rush to sell as the lady is heavily pregnant and they want to move in to their new house - one of the terms of our offer being accepted was that it went through asap.

So to a certain extent I'm not that suprised that she is supposedly nearly ready for us to exchange by the end of this week but I get the feeling they aren't a 'bust a gut' kind of person given that she has never bothered to return our phone calls etc. It has just worried me that I have had no updates of how things are progressing and now supposedly things are ready. It is her lack of response which has really annoyed me as, like you said, she is working for me.

I have got the number of someone more senior but I didn't want to contact them and risk annoying her?

I just wondered if it is normal to never hear from your solicitors between insturcting them and exchanging?

In my experience it's extremely odd for them not to speak to you at all (I'm an estate agent). There is absolutely no problem with requesting to speak to someone more senior at the practice, at the end of the day you have signed a contract to engage them to work for YOU, and if you're not happy with the service then you can and should raise it with someone more senior. If the agreed timescale is that it would be done quickly then I would stress that you are pleased she has got everything done so quickly, however you are unhappy with the total lack of communication. Has she sent you anything? Letters? Emails?

Bananamana

Generally your solicitor will report to you at intermittant stages such as:

Retainer received
Contracts received and enquiries raised
Report on searches
Report on title + replies to enquiries
Contract for signature
Transfer for signature
Mortgage deed and report for signature.


It would be unusual if this all came in one go. Call the solicitor.

AlyWeller

Managed to speak to them now. Supposedly should get a pack in the next couple of days with EVERYTHING in and for me to look through and there are still a couple of enquiries to do. Will see whether this turns up or not but still fed up with her lack of communication and didn't even receive an apology or explanation as to why