How often is too often to contact solicitor?

Moonraker71

I emailed my solicitor after starting this thread yesterday afternoon. She mailed me back at 6.30pm to say she'd just heard from my seller's solicitor and they had received the outstanding completion certificate from the seller that afternoon.

Now the seller is demanding that we exchange today with completion next Friday or they are pulling out. I thought this was just puffed up bravado and was planning on telling them to do one - after all they took 5 weeks to deliver a completion certificate, turns out the final building inspection was done on 15th July for ***** sake - but my solicitor called this morning and said they are 100% deadly serious, according to their solicitor, who has also conceded they are a total nightmare.

So I'm now stuck in a position where my solicitor is ready to exchange with my seller's solicitor, but my buyer's solicitor is not yet in possession of my buyer's deposit so no-one knows if this can even be achieved today, and if not the whole thing is down the pan. I cannot begin to describe how incandescent with rage I am at being held to ransom like this when the hold up is THEIR FAULT. I have never met them and my only way of contacting them is via the EA, but of course, they're not returning my calls.

Really feel like jumping off the balcony this morning. Oh, and I cannot find a single removal company who can move me next Friday even if it does go through.

Why do we do this? I wish I lived in a cave.

ACG

Go in to the estate agents and ask them to call the vendor while your there and ask to speak to them.

Personally i would probably get my solicitor to say they cant get in touch with me as im in work or something? Dont forget, they have had to pay solicitors too so they would be stupid to pull out.

Imelda

It's tough to know how much is too much to contact your solicitor, I work for a solicitors firm and I am really keen to provide a good service. However, it is really tough to be able to keep everyone informed all of the time. Please don't forget, for every transaction there are the clients, the other side solicitor and the estate agents - it's not just one or two, two minute phone calls - you are not the only client.
Plus, there are lulls in the process and it all seems to be frantic at the beginning and then at exchange of contracts.
One piece of advice, if you know your solicitor is trying to exchange contracts please sit on your hands and wait for them to call. There is nothing worse than being on the phone to the client/estate agent (who, to be honest only cares about exchange so they can prepare their invoice) only to miss the call from the other side solicitor that you have been trying to get hold of all day to effect exchange.

Jamie1989

Having been in a similar scenario about a year ago, I appreciate your dilemma. There's some fine balancing to be struck between hassling just the right amount and not appearing unreasonable.

Your solicitor is working for you. They are providing a service: you are paying them a lot of money to do carry out business on your behalf. If you were doing this yourself, then you would obviously respond to pressure from your seller and try to ensure a quick solution. They should do the same. When I was in a similar position last year, I made a polite phone call to my solicitor to explain the urgency of the situation and to show I was serious. Emails can be ignored - a client on the phone can't be!

Moonraker71 wrote: »

Just looked at their terms of business and says this:

"It is important that you understand that we will only contact you where it is necessary for us to do so, for example when we are in a position to update you on your matter. We shall therefore not contact you where there is nothing to report."

So, they're saying there's no reason for them to contact you. To me, this doesn't stop you from contacting them to give them a push in the right direction.

I wouldn't advise going into the office, though. You don't want to come over as aggressive.

moneyistooshorttomention

Moonraker71 wrote: »

I emailed my solicitor after starting this thread yesterday afternoon. She mailed me back at 6.30pm to say she'd just heard from my seller's solicitor and they had received the outstanding completion certificate from the seller that afternoon.

Now the seller is demanding that we exchange today with completion next Friday or they are pulling out. I thought this was just puffed up bravado and was planning on telling them to do one - after all they took 5 weeks to deliver a completion certificate, turns out the final building inspection was done on 15th July for ***** sake - but my solicitor called this morning and said they are 100% deadly serious, according to their solicitor, who has also conceded they are a total nightmare.

So I'm now stuck in a position where my solicitor is ready to exchange with my seller's solicitor, but my buyer's solicitor is not yet in possession of my buyer's deposit so no-one knows if this can even be achieved today, and if not the whole thing is down the pan. I cannot begin to describe how incandescent with rage I am at being held to ransom like this when the hold up is THEIR FAULT. I have never met them and my only way of contacting them is via the EA, but of course, they're not returning my calls.

Really feel like jumping off the balcony this morning. Oh, and I cannot find a single removal company who can move me next Friday even if it does go through.

Why do we do this? I wish I lived in a cave.

Sorry to hear that you have a "spoilt brat" to deal with here. I think anyone who thinks the "world revolves round them" does have that tendency manifesting itself during the course of housebuying by the look of it.

If you cant move then you cant move - end of - and perhaps the only way to deal with this Spoilt Brat is to throw the ball back into their court and say "Go on then...YOU...find me a suitable removal company that will comply with YOUR wishes".
In all seriousness...I suggest you try that and thrown their own problems they have created back onto their shoulders and see whether they can manage to sort them out.

I know I'm all geared-up to deal with my own buyer (should there be any further pressure for less time between Exchange and Completion than is practical) by saying "Over to you matie....you find me a removal firm then that is at least as good AND, if they charge any more, then YOU will be the one paying the extra".

Moonraker71

It seems a spoilt brat is exactly what I have, to put it mildly.

ACG I took your advice and went to the estate agent to stage a sit-in. The person I spoke to this morning hadn't even passed my message on to the manager (who I've been dealing with) so it's not really surprising no-one had called me back eh?

Anyway, now they seem more than happy to concede that we are dealing with 'a very, very difficult man' whereas previously they'd told me he was a 'brilliant bloke'. They could not get hold of him via 4 different mobile no.s but eventually got hold of his brother (?) who said he was 'full of hot air' and would talk to him.

In the meantime, my buyer is leaving work early to race back down the M25 in an attempt to get to two different banks to transfer the deposit to his solicitor, and his solicitor is trying (and failing) to scan him the draft contract by email so he can sign it and drop it off at my solicitor.

Then I get a call back from the estate agent to say the seller has grudgingly agreed to wait until Tuesday, but if contracts are not exchanged then, he is withdrawing from the sale with me and re-marketing the house and will not enter into any further discussion about it.

In response to my rages of WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS LUNATIC? to the estate agent, I am told he is 'a bit hot headed'.

I have phoned 24 removals companies today and no-one can fit me in next Friday. Apparently it's the busiest removals weekend of the year, due to people buying in the spring and needing to be in place before new school term starts. The only slot is with a company who can possibly do late in the day after another removal, but obviously can't give me a time because depends on when the previous people complete.

Stressed isn't the word.

moneyistooshorttomention

Does sound like your particular "spoilt brat" thinks that if he yells long enough and loud enough everyone will give him whatever he wants...no matter how unreasonable or impossible it is.

His brother might be the best way to try and get a shred of reasonableness through to him possibly?

Mr Spoilt Brat must be so annoyed that, being a man, he cant pull the "burst into lots of tears deliberately" stunt. Sounds like he's trying everything else. By now...in your position....I'd be swearing "If I ever get my hands on the mother that brought him up to think he is Mr Centre of Universe....I swear I'll swing for her".

Thrugelmir

Moonraker71 wrote: »

Then I get a call back from the estate agent to say the seller has grudgingly agreed to wait until Tuesday, but if contracts are not exchanged then, he is withdrawing from the sale with me and re-marketing the house and will not enter into any further discussion about it.

He won't withdraw from the sale. As he to will lose his purchase. Just hot air.

House purchase and sale is a stressful time for all involved. So best to stay calm and let the solicitor get on with their job. So many things have to come together to form a chain.

I always swear every time that I've moved , never again. But I do.

jazzyjustlaw

Windsorcastle wrote: »

This is what solicitors always say but a 2 minute phone call every few days hardly impacts them. Everyone who works in an office job gets phone calls interrupting them - it's all part and parcel of the job, and most of us still manage to get our work done to time. Solicitors think they are a special breed, and they like clients to be in awe of them so they are left in peace!

It does when you have 200 clients!
Let them get on with it!

HildaM

OP, you have my heartfelt sympathy. I feel your frustration! In March this year we had similar problems and ended up exchanging and completing within 24 hours. Completion took place on the day before Easter weekend, which I was assured was ALSO the busiest moving weekend of the year, because of the long (4 day) weekend. No removal firm had any availability and one company was pleasant enough to laugh at me on the phone and tell me "not a chance, dear". Mmmmm - just what I needed - patronising.

Of course we got moved in the end, with the help of van hire from Hertz and every able bodied person and relative we know (yes, even my 81 year old mum). Mind you, I did put off my annual blood pressure check for 2 months after that, as I was convinced it would take that long for my blood pressure to get anywhere near normal.