countrywide solicitors

midget_1907

Hi all,

wondering if there is any way to complain about these solicitors

we are now into week 14 of our house purchase with only us and the sellers in the chain.

The sellers instructed countrywide and they have been crap. Our solicitor raised enquiries 10 weeks ago and have had no response despite daily chasing by them and the estate agent as well as the sellers who just want the house sold.

we are all becoming increasingly frustrated and no one at countrywide seem to care. Even to the point where they suggested my solicitor should allow us to exchange without an answer to the enquiries. Some of which are quite important as the road has not yet been adopted by the local council. Our solicitor told them that was not to happen so why don't they hurry up and provide the required information.

Both us and our sellers want to complain but don't know who too.

Thanks

princeofpounds

1) Make a formal complaint to them in writing
2) Complain to the SRA if you can find grounds to do so.

Just search this board for 'countrywide', you'll see that you are not alone...

TBagpuss

As these are your sellers solicitors, not yours, your sellers need to make the complaint.

In the first instance they will need to complain to Countrywide directly. If they are not happy with the outcome, then they can complain to the legal ombudsman (more info here http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/consumer/ )


Pleae note; Countrywide are not solicitors. They are only licenced conveyancers. This means that although they are subject to the Legal Ombudsman, the place to raise concerns about any unprofessional conduct would be via the Council for Licences Conveyancers, not the SRA. http://www.conveyancer.org.uk/raisingconcerns.php.

midget_1907

Great thanks I will tell the sellers how to complain.

I must admit this whole house buying process is rather annoying and just seems to drag on. We left rented accommodation 2 months ago so we were free to move as soo as possible. What a mistake that was!

Golden_Angel

Hi,
My brother sold his flat through Bairstow Eves in January, it was sold to a cash buyer, they talked him into going with Countrywide, he is having the same problems by the sound of it, them saying it's the buyers solicitor holding everything up and they keep asking for more money for information they say they need from his management company. They told him this would be completed in a couple of months and then said completion would be around 22nd April, we are now near the end of June. He managed to speak to them and they are now saying end of July? They won't give him the information of the buyer or his solicitor so he can contact them directly to find out what is going on. He could have rented his property out again in the time it's taken and is now getting desperate to get this completed.
What can he do. Thank You.

Thrugelmir

Golden_Angel wrote: »

Hi,
My brother sold his flat through Bairstow Eves in January, it was sold to a cash buyer,

The buyer is running rings round him.

Suggest he sends an ultimatum via the solicitor to his buyers solicitors.

stressfulmay

It's true they are frustrating and certainly not proactive. I am buying using them and have found they do not reply to e-mails or phone messages and just fob you off with statements like "we are chasing" or "we will be in touch in due course".


I complained to head office and they were quite responsive and gave the conveyancer a kick up the bum but since then I've had the same frustrations.