O'Neill Patient Solicitors - Anyone had to deal with them?

Oxid8uk

Our buyers are using O’Neill Patient Solicitors in Stockport (I am assuming it is free conveyancing with their mortgage). They a first time buyers, our property is chain free and a new build.

Accepted the offer on 8th November and stated that ideally we would like to at least exchange contracts by Christmas.

Had an email from our solicitor today. Apparently O’Neill's have been in contact saying they are waiting for the mortgage offer to come through before starting work on the file, but that they cannot start work on the file as they ‘lost’ the paperwork our solicitor sent over to them 3 weeks ago! :mad:

Looked at some reviews online and it seems they are very good at losing paperwork, stalling progress and never being available if someone wants to talk to them. Has anyone else had experience of using/dealing with O’Neill Patient Solicitors? Should we resign ourselves to the fact that this is probably not going to be the easy and straightforward transaction that it should be?

LizzieL

Assuming they're the same O'Neills in Stockport that the bottom end of our chain are dealing with then trust me losing a bit of paperwork is the least of your worries, every day for three weeks they've said they're ready to exchange and everything from a few hours to three minutes before exchange they've said there's a problem.

These have ranged from lost paperwork, the wrong paperwork being sent, the mortgage funds not being ready, two lots of deposit money going missing and them not picking up the post for days on end.

It's got to the stage they want us to exchange AND complete tomorrow which obviously given that they've lied through their teeth we're not going to do, so God knows what happens now. Our solicitors are badgering them to see if we can exchange today so we can complete tomorrow but I can't see any chance of that actually happening.:mad:

All I can say is Good Luck, you'll need it.

DVardysShadow

As your chain is short, I suggest that you contact your buyers through the Agent and you ask them to change solicitor. Do not suggest that they use yours or that your agent suggests one - let them make their own choice.

Oxid8uk

We contacted the EA about it - apparently the EA had a letter from O'Neills a few days back saying they had received the mortgage offer from the buyers lender and all the searches had been completed (yet they told our solicitor yesterday afternoon that they weren't going to work on the file until the mortgage offer had come through!). And apparently the paperwork was lost when being transferred from one department to another??

Our EA, like us, isn't happy about it and have said that if in a few weeks there are more and more problems with O'Neills, that they will recommend the buyers to change solicitors.

I have my fingers and toes crossed that this is the only problem we encounter.....

DVardysShadow

OK, I would insist that your buyers change solicitors. I can smell it from here - based on the diverging stories - they spend more time on the phone covering up for incompetence and laziness than they do actually progressing any conveyancing.

GDB2222

Just be a bit careful what you say, unless it is factual and from your personal experience or very general advice that does not refer specifically to a particular set of solicitors.

Catti

I deal with this firm quite often as they are obviously recommended by certain estate agents. I don't find them to be particularly difficult or slow, but usually do deal with one of a few named Solicitors/Fee earners. Make sure your solicitor has the correct person's direct email address.

NathanE

I'm using them right now, through the free conveyancing with Nationwide.

I am finding them very good. 95% of stuff has been done via e-mail or post. They respond very quickly to any e-mails I send them.

The mortgage offer delay is normal. If your buyers are using Nationwide, they will delay the mortgage offer until you've transferred to their FlexAccount which for me took 3 weeks (!).

Thus far I have only praise for O'Neills, and only a slightly soured opinion of Nationwide. But generally, all okay.

Oxid8uk

NathanE wrote: »

.

The mortgage offer delay is normal.

The mortgage offer could only come through this week as the valuation survey was only done on Monday, so I have no qualms there.

I am just very concerned that they have 'lost' paperwork which, according to O'Neills will delay everything by a week, and also they tell my EA one thing and my solicitor a completely different story. It just doesn't fill me with much confidence!

johnk

They were appointed by HSBC to conveyance my remortgage and the process went through no problems.

Catti

Oxid8uk wrote: »

The mortgage offer could only come through this week as the valuation survey was only done on Monday, so I have no qualms there.

I am just very concerned that they have 'lost' paperwork which, according to O'Neills will delay everything by a week, and also they tell my EA one thing and my solicitor a completely different story. It just doesn't fill me with much confidence!

...or so says your EA