HELP Vendor Pulling Out After Exchange of Contract and Our Own solicitor Quit

DaftyDuck

...... I also imagine the O.P. is slightly stressed about a few things..... I'll forgive worse English that that, given the circumstances.

maninthestreet

No estate agent involved, and a solicitor who claims to be shutting-up shop just as the vendor refuses to honour the contract? The red flags are there.....

Jenniefour

I am sorry you have found yourself in this position, especially at this time of year.

Please take the very good advice offered by several others - find another solicitor asap, have no more communications directly with the vendors and if they try to contact you again tell them this is now being dealt with by your solicitor.

Whatever private disputes are going on in the vendors family are not your responsibility and these may not have any legal implications at all for possible completion - and if they have they need dealing with by a solicitor. As has been pointed out, the fact that they are trying to do a deal with you indicates that all the cards are in your hand and talking with them might make your position weaker.

You also need advice from your new solicitor on whether there has been any professional negligence by your old solicitor. I find it unprofessional at the very least that the solicitor was not prepared to take this up for you as a matter of urgency, or immediately hand over your case to a colleague who could pursue it.

Wishing you well with this, and hope you get an outcome that is Ok for you and your family.

g_attrill

lavandergirl wrote: »

http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/solicitor-closed-down.page

Contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

I was going to suggest this - I thought that local firms were duty/honour-bound to take on cases of other solicitors who have closed but it doesn't mention anything like that. Regardless the SRA might be able to suggest local firms of a size and type suitable?

bryanb

sacha28 wrote: »

I understand this is not an English lesson but I keep finding myself have to re-read so I can get the jist of what you are trying to say.

Do you mean gist?

rpc

OP - you need to get a good solicitor. Your file should be passed to another firm when your existing solicitor closes, or you can just choose a local one.

As others have said STOP talking directly to the vendor.

I have a suspicion that the vendor solicitor may have been negligent (if what the family say is vaguely true) and may be a better target for immediate monies, but you really need a good solicitor to take that approach.

xylophone

jist

Gist.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gist

Thrugelmir

rpc wrote: »

I have a suspicion that the vendor solicitor may have been negligent

Unless there's a conflict of interest that the solicitors are wishing to avoid.

andy.m_2

There is more to this than meets the eye, and you may not find out the full extent until you see the inside of a courtroom.
I would not believe one word that they have said to you and bear in mind that any sad stories they tell you are not your fault, but the fault of whoever signed the contract on behalf of the vendor.

Good luck with whateve you decide.

TBagpuss

Contact the SRA - normally, if a firm of solicitors closes down the SRA will appoint another solicitor to 'uplift' the files and deal with them (there are around 100 firms closing as they have been unable to obtain Insurance, as the rules changed this year - those firms had until the end of the year to make arrangements and must then close.) There is no requirement for any solicitor to take on a client, and as things are you need a litigator, not a conveyancer.

The vendors solicitor may have been negligent, or the vendors may have lied to them.

Make sue you keep full documentation of everything which happens and in particular everything you have t spend, as that will be relevant to and claim you make, either for damages or to enforce the contract (or both)

Mean while, stop talking to the vendors. Tell them they need to write to you with any suggestions or offers, and don't reply without taking proper, professional legal advice.