Seller failing to complete on sale of flat - Help!

pops5588

No pressure or anything but I am actually holding my breath....

mi5tery

Hi all,

Firstly, thank you everyone for all your kind words, advice and support. For those of you who have followed this from the beginning, thank you also for bearing with us and being so patient.

The story so far...

Last update from me I believe was along the lines that we had instructed our conveyancing solicitor (who I will refer to as CS) to recall the full funds which they had sent to the vendor's solicitor (who I will refer to as VS).

Now where to start?

EA being fed up of getting little/no response from vendor decides to call the VS but the line is dead! He then Googles the VS's phone number and is shocked to discover the phone number belongs to a company claiming to be pawn brokers - at the same address as the VS! Seriously concerned he calls my CS and informs her of the issue. Holy crap!:mad:

Go get your popcorn, this roller coaster just started!

I'm going to post this story across a number of posts for two reasons: 1. I don't want to keep people waiting super long for my update and 2. Because I fear it's a work night and I may not finish the story!

mi5tery

ValHaller

Damn! I need an early night. But I have a feeling I can see roughly where this goes. Is it all sorted now?

mi5tery

Welcome back!

My CS called and dropped the bombshell on me.

I googled addresses local to the VS/pawn brokers and having spoken to some neighbours discovered that the was not a solicitors firm at the VS's address. The pawn brokers had moved in approximately a year earlier. I informed my CS of my investigations upon which she called the SRA (Solicitor's Regulation Authority) to report this matter. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, there was apparently a scam alert out on the same VS name on the SRA website since the start of May that my CS missed. The SRA however confirmed that the details of the VS which my CS had were correct with the exception of the email address (there was no mention of this).

After my CS spoke to the SRA she informed us that the SRA would now investigate and we should cease our investigations as it may tip off any possible fraudsters. Also, that we should take no further action and await a response from the SRA within 24hrs - this included contacting the police - the SRA would do this if this was required. (SIDENOTE: If you feel you should contact the police, do it, doesn't matter what anyone says).

So we waited... (a long night)

Next day, the SRA still had not gotten back to our CS and on top of this our CS apparently had to leave the office early for some matter. Before she left for the day however she called the SRA and tried to get an update - the person dealing with the matter was apparently unavailable. Our CS asked to be a little more patient and if the SRA called her office they would be transferred to a director at her firm who would contact us as necessary.

So we waited... (another long night)

The next day, my CS spoke to the SRA and apparently they were still investigating. Furthermore she could not share anything with us, her hands were tied by the SRA, however we should continue to wait until she gave us further instructions. Also, the SRA had asked her to submit to them a report of events - a report I might add that she was apparently unable to share with me! By this time we had had enough. I told her that the SRA do not have any say over me, I would report this matter to the police as the way thing look right now, all my funds had been stolen - funds which I'd borrowed from friends and family and to whom I'd need to give an explanation.

Meanwhile the Mrs was researching similar stories and trying to find what our possible options could be. Sadly, she found horror stories of people having lost sums of over £million to scam artist in house sales. We were well.. let's just say pretty darn scared at this stage.

Oh and btw in order to report fraud in this day and age one has to do it online - don't even think of going to a police station, they'll just direct you to the actionfraud website - which we eventually did having given the SRA and our CS over 48 nail biting hours (I REPEAT: If you ever feel you need to report something to the police, do it regardless of anything anybody says and don't delay).

I may have to stop for today... work night and all.

mi5tery

BazzaDP

Tease! Tell us the rest!! Please....

mi5tery

BazzaDP wrote: »

Tease! Tell us the rest!! Please....

Sorry, I'm falling asleep here.

I'll do my best to continue tomorrow.

mi5tery

sooz

Oh come on, atleast bullet points and fill gaps in later, like...

:eek: police
:eek: tenant in drag was actually pawnbroking solicitor
:eek: tesco bag for life
:eek: drain pond
:eek: finally cold g&t in new house. Just don't mention the garden.

grifferz

Personally I don't want any spoilers. Write it up properly in your own time, please.

rrtt

O.M.G. Flamin nora ... feel so sorry for you and Mrs Mi5tery - whatta 'mare. I missed everything from about 24th June onwards till last night, as the notifications for this thread had stopped arriving in my inbox.

This has been reading like a penny dreadful - BUT, Mr & Mrs Mi5tery, fear not. At the end of the day/week/nightmare, you have the raw material for a block-buster TV drama which doesn't even require you to use your imagination! You both write well, and I have every expectation that you'll make millions from the TV, film and book rights, with royalties piling up for years to come to give you not just a mere flat or house, but a country pile, a yacht, and a Bahamian holiday home to boot! Seriously, you couldn't make it up! :idea:

dibuzz

Can't wait to read the rest of this, don't work too hard Mi5tery