What happens on completion if the transfer deeds have not arrived?

goldbyron

A mild panic today due to the blasted snow and the royal mail. My solicitor (in SE London) has had to scan and e-mail the transfer deeds to me today - we are completing on Thursday - as they never arrived in the post last week (we exchanged 10 days ago). I'm not entirely convinced his secretary sent them (she seems to be a bit disorganised at the moment) but there is still no sign over a week later... So I have signed and am hand delivering them tomorrow to make sure. However our vendors solicitor is in Cornwall and I am now anxious that they may also be lost in the post and they don't have the option of hand delivery as we are in Essex. Can completion still go through without them if the sols give an undertaking that they will arrive - and why can't they be faxed with the original sent in the post? Bit worried....I thought all the stress would be over after exchange but I won't rest until I get those keys! Or is it just my sol and do other sols send these things prior to exchange?

Richard_Webster

You will need to check with your solicitor but it is very common for there to be two identical copies of the TR1 (transfer) one signed by the buyer and one by the seller. On completion the seller's solicitor sends his client's copy to to the buyer's solicitor who staples the two together and sends to the Land Registry who treat them as one document!

Therefore it is most likely that as long as your solicitor has got one signed by you he can fax a copy of it to the seller's solicitor if they really want to see "details of the buyer's execution". I know that sounds grim and I often laugh about it but that's the expression we use!

So it is unlikely the copy you signed will need to get to Cornwall.

Catatonia

My property sale completed without the other side getting the transfer deed, as my solicitor then lost it and so I had to sign another one. Not sure if the other side saw a fax of it or not.

planemad

Didn't think that the solicitors used the Royal Mail for docs, they normally use DX.

goldbyron

Yes my sol has been a little lax this time around - he isn't normally. I am quite sure he never posted it but it has never arrived anyway. I am only worried that my seller has maybe not been able to sign their transfer deed due to the snow/mail problems and my fear is I wake on completion day to be told it can't happen as our sellers sol has not received the doc! A little neurotic sounding I am sure... However I am hoping to take comfort from some of the replies on here that it isn't absolutely necessary and it can still go ahead regardless.

PasturesNew

There's no snow in Cornwall

I've been on the beach today in the sun.

goldbyron

LOL pastures new! I have been into my sol this morning and he has everything he needs to complete on thursday now. Heard from the buyer via e-mail and everything seems good that end too. So fingers crossed that our vendor wasn't struck by the posting difficulties and all is well. The deeds still haven't arrived today anyway. The sol either completely forgot to send them or the royal mail is taking the pee...how on earth can it take over one week to travel from SE1 to NE London...all the traffic has been moving every day in London??? Very odd...