Advice

jodenice

We put an offer on a place on the 30th September. There was no chain (the place the vendors was buying was empty) and a 50% share of the freehold was available - it seemed like such a lovely place so we went for it.

The vendors went on holiday for 3 weeks - without telling anyone they had a buyer for their property and without telling the owners of the new property that they were away. The owners couldn't get hold of them and sold it to someone else.

Now the vendors have finally found somewhere else - but the person they are buying from is buying a new build - *hopefully* (:( ) to be built before Xmas.

I double checked with the solicitors on the 1st November 06 about the freehold as there was no mention of it in any paperwork and just showed as a 70 year leasehold, which I wouldn't really want.

He contacted their solicitors by letter. Today I phoned him back as I hadn't heard anything.

He said he would write them another letter but obviously phoned them as he's just phoned me. He says that their case hasn't even been passed onto a solicitor yet (its a strange setup where one person deals with it at a certain stage - and when it reaches a certain level it passes onto another - etc) - and my sellers are currently sitting at the bottom of the pile because they HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED TO SEND THEIR ID IN YET.

Well hell-llo? If I tell my boyfriend this I know for a fact he will a) blow his top and b) he'll say we should start looking for another property - and i want this one! I can see we have no chance of getting in before Xmas but our lives are on hold until we get a date - my boyfriends job will change when we move, I need to sort out my travelling fees, a dogwalker, we need to give notice to the flat we are renting.

I feel really quite violent. Is there any way I can sort this out? I am phoning the EA (who is avoiding me as I keep hounding him) and he's my only link to them.

What can I do? It really doesn't sound like they are that bothered about moving does it? I may well have lost my valuation and solicitors fees it this goes t*ts up.

:mad:

lynzpower

nope nothing you can do really except ask your sol to ask thiers to remind them to send the ID in.
( which it sounds like youve just done?)

jodenice

Well I've asked the EA to contact them, I'm hoping the fact that I sound doubtful about whether they are seriously selling it (or just floating along in a dream) will make him look at any money he could be earning and urge him to phone them! With regards to the solicitors - until they hand over their ID they haven't been allocated one in the firm - it all sounds like its going to go very s-l-o-w-l-y

LouiseK_2

My husband and I have just bought our first property which is also share of freehold (50%). It took absolutely ages for the freehold document to materialise (over 2 months). Who had it and what they were doing with it all that time, I have no idea. As soon as it came through, though, it was all systems go and we exchanged and completed within 3 weeks.

I know you want the property but I suggest you threaten to pull out if they don't hurry up and give them a deadline for providing the freehold document. Tell the estate agent this too, since presumably he won't want to lose his commission. If things don't start moving soon, you got to think do they really want to move?

Doozergirl

The flat will still have an individual lease as the vendor will own a 50% share of the company that owns the freehold. You still need individual leases to protect the interests of both you and the other leaseholder. It sounds loke your original lease hasn't been extended yet so you'll need to extend it at some point, but you take it up to 999 years and the cost will be minimal as no-one is looking to profit.

I agree that an ultimatum to the vendor to either make a move or drop out is in order. If they really aren't interested in selling, best thing is for you to know quickly.

jodenice

The only problem now is how to find out? I wrote an email to the Estate Agent, who is the only person who has contact with them as they have not been appointed a solicitor yet. He hasn't replied and every time I phone they say he is on appointment. I could believe this, he is an EA after all, if after the last time I phoned I remembered something I'd forgotten and phoned straight back and he picked up the phone! I absolutely hate hounding people but i'm getting more and more wound up sitting here...

Doozergirl

Oh dear, I don't think the news is good. I suspect the vendor has gone awol and the estate agent is avoiding you while they try and get a straight answer.

Estate agents often seem to avoid people they don't know, but once you're on the road to purchase, they're quite eager. Do you live near enough to call in personally? If not, call and ask to speak to the manager; if you're asked why then tell them you'd like to find out what their formal complaints procedure is. That should see you put through to the right person.

Otherwise, call a neighbouring branch and speak to their manager. That really stirs things up!

Either way, an ultimatum is in order. Movement by the end of next week or you start looking again.