Furious with my conveyancer

wolvesman89

Some may know some of the problems I've been having with my house purchase. My partner and I are both FTB's and first had a ln offer accepted in March. Although everyone was ready in technical terms to exchange 6 weeks ago, a problem with the top of the chain delaying things led to weeks of standoff and stalemate whilst trying to agree on dates and exchanging. However, I was informed yesterday that this had been resolved as the middle of the chain have agreed to chain break and move in with family to avoid the chain collapsing. Everything was confirmed this morning so I sent my deposit funds to my solicitor as asked and was assured she'd get contracts exchanged today and she'd call me once everything was done. Gets to 4pm and still no call (she finishes at 4.30pm) so decide to call her to check everything's ok and she says "I'm going to have to do it first thing, I've been in training all afternoon". I'm so angry, this chain has been a nightmare to get closed and the moment when we need her to make sure she does something she fails miserably. I'm dreading the discussion tomorrow being that overnight the chain breakers have had a rethink and no longer want to do it and we're back to square one! How could she jeopardise our purchase through such incompetence!? It's not the first thing that's annoyed me about her, her attitude when speaking to you is disgusting and I always have to call to get any sort of update, even when it comes to telling me we're ready to exchange it's only because I've called her to check! Someone please tell me I'm not going over the top and my solicitor really is useless!?

welshwizard1927

Your initial letter from your solicitor after you instructed them should contain details of how to complain. Use them: immediately. It usually involves a complaint to one of the senior partners, who will investigate and decide how to deal with it.

More importantly, 16 hours may not make a huge difference. Get onto the solicitor, and the partner that deals with complaints first thing in the morning to make sure it goes ahead then.

wolvesman89

Welsh wizard, do you think I have grounds for a complaint? I agree 16 hours hopefully won't make a difference but I'm terrified that it will do now, I just can't understand it.

Lord_Baltimore

Just one question Wolvesman, what would you have done if you'd been required to be in training all afternoon?

Look, everyone knows the house process is difficult but don't go ballistic over something that hasn't even happened yet. Your solicitor also has more than one client to take care of.

The last piece of your jigsaw may yet fall into place, I sincerely hope it does. Perhaps next time use a different solicitor eh?

lawriejones1

Also, should you complain the complaint will likely go other boss, who organised the training!

Icecold_2

Hi

I absolutely think you have grounds for complaint I would be furious.

You are paying for a service, they are not doing you a favour! Client care should take precedence over training... Alternative arrangements should have been made for another solicitor or legal exec to exchange.


I would read the initial letter sent to you and follow the complaints procedure... It might make them consider their priorities next time... I am surprised at the patronising responses you have received on this thread twisting things to make you appear unreasonable for being dissatisfied with her bad service... Rubbish!!

Good luck... Realistically it probably won't have made a huge difference

Not the point though

Guest101

Agreed, you are paying for prompt service, it's not like you want 24/7 client care, you just want them to stick to what they've said. I dont think that's beyond their remit.

ANd if I had training, I would inform my manager I cannot attent as I have a client exchange to complete this afternoon.

welshwizard1927

A good solicitor will always prioritise work to meet deadlines and ensure that colleagues are made aware of any urgent work in their absence. You do have grounds for a complaint - this is sloppy, albeit probably hasn't made a huge difference to the transaction.

Let us know how you get on.

Lord_Baltimore

Icecold wrote: »

I am surprised at the patronising responses you have received on this thread twisting things to make you appear unreasonable for being dissatisfied with her bad service... Rubbish!!

The OP appeared on 5 June. A day later contracts were exchanged.

It isn't patronising to have recognised that wolvesman89 was suffering from the all too common house-buying stress that gives rise to the blame game.

The only thing getting twisted is your knickers .

ruggedtoast

My conveyancer was similarly useless. Impossible to get hold of on the phone, she also didn't even bother to call me to say we had exchanged.

I found out from the estate agent.

Guest101

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

The OP appeared on 5 June. A day later contracts were exchanged.

It isn't patronising to have recognised that wolvesman89 was suffering from the all too common house-buying stress that gives rise to the blame game.

The only thing getting twisted is your knickers .

Surely knowing the process is stressful, solicitors should take this into account and work to better standards?

The solicitor Fed up, no doubt, now the consequences werent serious, but they COULD've been