Are we unfairly being held up by Building Society?

Counting_Pennies_2

So fed up

I have been in the process of buying a house.

The building society getting the mortgage from now only deal with accredited solicitors. Our solicitors have been applying for accreditation since the summer and kept being told next week they would hear, but they have taken ages and still no accreditation has been given.

So we have had to pay for a second solicitor to act on behalf of the building society. In addition to our solicitor.

So all was going well, exchange imminent, then for some reason they asked to see any separate, privately paid for surveys. We privately arranged a flood report and full structural survey.

The full structural survey cost us thousands, and is written so as to make the house as if brand new again. The house is over 100 years so naturally work needs doing. The big job that needs doing has been taken off the asking price, the other jobs we will slowly get round to completing over the years, will cost thousands if to make it to brand new condition.

So despite us being ready to go for exchange, the solicitors for the building society are blocking us, and despite our solicitor spending over a week answering their questions, and doing everything right, we are no closer to an exchange, they keep saying they will get back to us.

We are really cross. We have bought a few houses in the past. We have never legally had to produce any privately arranged surveys and searches, and feel they are unfairly holding everything up. Naturally we are not popular with the rest of the chain as this is dragging on with no clear end.

Is it possible to put in a complaint about this, has anyone experienced anything like this?

The building society survey was carried out and all was satisfactory.

G_M

Why did you not choose a solicitor off the BS's list?

Fire_Fox

Why did you end up with two lots of solicitors in the first place? Perhaps the second lot are trying to justify their existence and fee to the building society.

Thrugelmir

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

The building society survey was carried out and all was satisfactory.

No recommendations at all ? You refer to a "big job" that altered the price.

With regards to solicitor choosen. That was your choice. The Building Society do not have to accredit them onto their panel.

Counting_Pennies_2

The solicitor is our family solicitor and who we trust implicitly to ensure all our interests are looked after.

He has done an amazing job.

We were told we only needed to pay a few hundred pounds to another solicitor firm to see the building society part through and that we could remain with the solicitors we use to do the searches etc.

I would not change our decision, because the solicitors on behalf of the BS are pants, and are proving how dreadful they are at this very minute.

My question is are they being unreasonable. Surely if their commissioned survey came up ok and the valuation was good, it is our business what we do with our own surveys and reports, why should they be holding us up?

Counting_Pennies_2

Thrugelmir wrote: »

No recommendations at all ? You refer to a "big job" that altered the price.

With regards to solicitor choosen. That was your choice. The Building Society do not have to accredit them onto their panel.

It was their bog standard valuation survey. The type that the surveyor walks about ticks a few boxes and all is fine.

Thrugelmir

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

Surely if their commissioned survey came up ok and the valuation was good, it is our business what we do with our own surveys and reports, why should they be holding us up?

So did you amend the offer price? After the BS surveyor conducted the valuation.

The solicitor is our family solicitor and who we trust implicitly to ensure all our interests are looked after.

I'm sure he does. However that does not give the BS any comfort. As to them they are just another firm of solicitors. As I said earlier your choice.

Counting_Pennies_2

Yes we altered the asking price. The BS approved it, all was happy ready to exchange

G_M

The BS solicitor has not only the right, but the duty, to check all documents, searches etc relating to the purchase, in order to protect thei client's interests (the building society).

Where two firms of solicitors are involved, this inevitably results in duplication, and/or sharing/exchanging of information.

It is for this reason that most sensible people use a single firm to represent both themselves and their lender.

You made a poor decision I'm afraid, and now just have to bite the bullet.

Richard_Webster

If someone approaches me for a conveyancing quote and they tell me that they are getting their mortgage from lender for whom I cannot act I tell them to try another solicitor who can act for that lender.

From my point of view it is a lot of unnecessary hassle dealing with separately represented lender's solicitors and not worth it.

It is very common for separately represented mortgage lender's solicitors to ask for lots of extra documents which another solicitor would not bother with.

Even if the client was a family friend I would explain the problem and suggest other local solicitors with a good reputation that could act for them and the lender.

I assume that accreditation is Conveyancing Quality Scheme. I have this but it took me some time to get and I am surprised that the solicitors in question assumed that it would be a quick process and they could stall a conveyancing transaction while they obtained it.

Counting_Pennies_2

Richard_Webster wrote: »

If someone approaches me for a conveyancing quote and they tell me that they are getting their mortgage from lender for whom I cannot act I tell them to try another solicitor who can act for that lender.

From my point of view it is a lot of unnecessary hassle dealing with separately represented lender's solicitors and not worth it.

It is very common for separately represented mortgage lender's solicitors to ask for lots of extra documents which another solicitor would not bother with.

Even if the client was a family friend I would explain the problem and suggest other local solicitors with a good reputation that could act for them and the lender.

I assume that accreditation is Conveyancing Quality Scheme. I have this but it took me some time to get and I am surprised that the solicitors in question assumed that it would be a quick process and they could stall a conveyancing transaction while they obtained it.

Thanks,

The solicitor was informed by the BS concerned that the accreditation would come through in a matter of weeks (they had applied previously to us going for the mortgage) that we would only have to pay another solicitor if for some exceptional reason it did not come through.

It has all been thoroughly messy, I am very unhappy about it all.

I feel more for the rest of the chain, the move was supposed to have happened by now and these solicitors are holding it all up.