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Waiting on Sellers Agent accepting offer (Scotland)

Hi,

I am after a little advice based on others experiences.

My friend is buying a house, she is a FTB, and I have never bought a house before.

She is in the forces & has this week gone on deployment so I have been granted POA to deal with everything on her behalf.

Last Monday 08/12/14 she put an offer in of £75,000, for a house that was on the market for O.I.R.O £78,000, with the sellers agent verbally. This was accepted over the phone. She instructed her solicitor to submit a written offer to the sellers' agents & this was sent over to them on the Tuesday 09/12/14.

The offer was put in subject to funds (as she just has an AIP with Halifax at the mo) & subject to home report - which is 2 months out of date as Halifax require it to be no more than 3 months old.

Her solicitor has still not heard back from the Sellers agent?

Is this normal? How long does it normally take for the sellers to send acceptance?

She is starting to worry incase the sellers are getting cold feet.

Help
Member #179 -The 'Save 12k in 2014' Challenge £1740/£5000

Comments

  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Her solicitor should be chasing the seller's agent/solicitor for a response. You may need to chase her solicitor.
  • Thanks for that Googler,

    I contacted her solicitor today & he has advised it is entirely normal to take this long.

    I'm just clueless lol
    Member #179 -The 'Save 12k in 2014' Challenge £1740/£5000
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 17 December 2014 at 7:33PM
    Thanks for that Googler,

    I contacted her solicitor today & he has advised it is entirely normal to take this long.

    I'm just clueless lol

    It isn't. A competent solicitor should receive the written offer, contact their client same day or next, review the offer, take instruction from their client whether to accept or not (which it appears was a formality in this case), and send out a qualified or unqualified acceptance in writing within another day or so.

    The only acceptable excuse for not doing this is if their client is indisposed or absent

    http://www.lawscot.org.uk/rules-and-guidance/section-f-guidance-relating-to-particular-types-of-work/division-c-conveyancing/guidance/avoidance-of-delay-in-concluding-missives/
  • In his email he says "I don’t think that I have had a written acceptance received within the time limit stated in the Offer in at least 3 years!!"

    I am trying to do the best for my friend, I would feel responsible if she lost out on this house due to me not chasing him.

    Do you think I should phone him tomorrow? Should I phone the seller's estate agent?
    Member #179 -The 'Save 12k in 2014' Challenge £1740/£5000
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    In his email he says "I don’t think that I have had a written acceptance received within the time limit stated in the Offer in at least 3 years!!"

    I am trying to do the best for my friend, I would feel responsible if she lost out on this house due to me not chasing him.

    Do you think I should phone him tomorrow? Should I phone the seller's estate agent?

    A day or so beyond the time limit in the offer is reasonable, but he's working in the dark ages if he thinks this is acceptable. A week or more is taking the P when all the seller's solicitor need do is speak to their client and draft a letter.

    You'll get nowhere speaking to the seller's EA and/or solicitor, and your solicitor will get mightily ticked off if you try and bypass him.

    Your e-mail back to him

    Dear Mr Sol

    You wrote "I don’t think that I have had a written acceptance received within the time limit stated in the Offer in at least 3 years!!"

    Please clarify what this means for my/our sale. Does this mean that you'll wait indefinitely for a written acceptance from the seller's solicitor? How long will you wait? A month? 6 months? A year?

    At what point will you decide 'enough is enough', and chase them?

    Regards, mardiemare
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