Is it normal for a solicitor not to reply or return calls ?

WorriedFTB_2

We received a text at 4am this morning from the vendor asking us to sort our solicitor out .
The vendor said "this is dragging now " . The reason being , the vendor has moved (his own decision ) he is now paying rent and a mortgage elsewhere so he wants us to hurry things up ... we've been going since Jan.

Our solicitor doesn't reply my calls or email , so unprofessional .
After I threatened to withdraw this week he called me and said he was busy with other clients trying to complete before the 1st of April .He apparently haven't even reviewed anything or our contracts that were sent to him over 2 months ago . Our mortgage offer took a while to be issued but that was done on the 15th pf March so I thought he would start getting on with things by now .

I paid for searches which he said he hasn't started yet . We paid early Feb so he could do those while the mortgage and valuations were being completed .Then the survey came back with a few issues which we had to agree ourselves with the vendor as this so called solicitor never replyed to calls or emails .
There are a few things to be enquired with the local authority , flagged in the survey . I guess he hasn't done that either as he hasn't even looked at the survey .

So when I spoke to him on Monday he said "imagine you just started the whole process now " as you only instructed me after the mortgage offer was issued .Which we understand but for the fact that he can't even give us an estimated date for completion I am starting to panick that the vendor will end up pulling out as his text 4 am wasn't very friendly . I paid for searches before so he could get the ball rolling ...
Bearing in mind that this is a shared ownership property so apparebtly it takes long to complete .

We put an offer on the 12 of Jan , the mortgage was issued on the 15th of March . The vendor moved out by his own choice :cool:


Is this how it works ?

Thanks very much

marksoton

WorriedFTB wrote: »

We received a text at 4am this morning from the vendor asking us to sort our solicitor out . You find that acceptable?, i wouldn't...
The vendor said "this is dragging now " . The reason being , the vendor has moved (his own decision ) he is now paying rent and a mortgage elsewhere so he wants us to hurry things up ... we've been going since Jan.
Not that long then...
Our solicitor doesn't reply my calls or email , so unprofessional .
After I threatened to withdraw this week he called me and said he was busy with other clients trying to complete before the 1st of April .He apparently haven't even reviewed anything or our contracts that were sent to him over 2 months ago . Our mortgage offer took a while to be issued but that was done on the 15th pf March so I thought he would start getting on with things by now .
Why does threatening to withdraw affect your solicitor? If you've only just received a formal mortgage offer they've probably done you a favour....
I paid for searches which he said he hasn't started yet . We paid early Feb so he could do those while the mortgage and valuations were being completed .Then the survey came back with a few issues which we had to agree ourselves with the vendor as this so called solicitor never replyed to calls or emails .
There are a few things to be enquired with the local authority , flagged in the survey . I guess he hasn't done that either as he hasn't even looked at the survey . How do you know that?

So when I spoke to him on Monday So they are communicating then .... he said "imagine you just started the whole process now " as you only instructed me after the mortgage offer was issued .Which we understand but for the fact that he can't even give us an estimated date for completion I am starting to panick that the vendor will end up pulling out as his text 4 am wasn't very friendly . I paid for searches before so he could get the ball rolling ... Good solicitor...
Bearing in mind that this is a shared ownership property so apparebtly it takes long to complete . Hello....

We put an offer on the 12 of Jan , the mortgage was issued on the 15th of March . The vendor moved out by his own choice :cool:


Is this how it works ?

Thanks very much

I think your vendor is being unreasonable frankly.

WorriedFTB_2

Good to know that the solicitor has done us favour waiting for the mortgage offer . We are in no rush . Just feeling the pressure from the vendor . And being FTB I am not sure about the waits . I did read in here of people that took 6 months .
I did not find the vendors 4am txt acceptable at all He thinks because that there is no chains we should be completed in days .
To be quite fair he is annoying me ��

I didn't even mention that the text included him asking us to pay him money for the goods that he is leaving behind , which we have agreed to pay at completion or just beforw ( washing machine, fridge & dish washer ) Not sure whether I should pay these before completion , my gut instinct says no .

I really appreciate your reply ! Thanks so much

buglawton

There's a buying panic on due to Osbornes new BTL tax, and solicitors - even good ones - are slow and getting s callback is not the norm. I'd say that after April 5th there'll be a bit of a slump in hotspot prices, expect to complete much later that that while solicitors rush their BTLs through.

ognum

One of the key things to learn when you start buying/selling is to identify your solicitors preferred method of communication. For mine it's email and I know he will respond within a couple of hours, if I try to speak on the phone I get voicemail, receptionist or no reply.

Find out how to communicate!

SmlSave

So when I spoke to him on Monday he said "imagine you just started the whole process now " as you only instructed me after the mortgage offer was issued

Did you?
If so, calm down and refuse to take calls from your seller.

Shahni

If your solicitor is as busy with completions before 1st April as we have been I doubt he will have touched any other files last week, or plan to next week. Its busier at the moment than the week before Christmas.

If you're counting from the time your offer was accepted it'll seem like you've been waiting ages, but the mortgage offer wasn't issued until a week ago. Its reasonable for your solicitor to wait for the mortgage offer before he starts spending your money. Imagine the alternative - he's run up hundreds in fees, obtained full searches, ready to exchange then you don't get your mortgage offer. Means a big legal bill for you and no property.

My advice would be to bother your solicitor as little as possible next week, then the week after arrange to pop in and see him, or at least a telephone call, and discuss the process from hereon out with estimated time scales. That way he can manage your expectations and you can have an idea of what needs to be done next.

Of course whether it even gets to that point is another issue with your unreasonable vendor texting you at ungodly hours.

alchemist.1

WorriedFTB wrote: »

We received a text at 4am this morning from the vendor asking us to sort our solicitor out .
The vendor said "this is dragging now " . The reason being , the vendor has moved (his own decision ) he is now paying rent and a mortgage elsewhere so he wants us to hurry things up ... we've been going since Jan.

Our solicitor doesn't reply my calls or email , so unprofessional .
After I threatened to withdraw this week he called me and said he was busy with other clients trying to complete before the 1st of April .He apparently haven't even reviewed anything or our contracts that were sent to him over 2 months ago . Our mortgage offer took a while to be issued but that was done on the 15th pf March so I thought he would start getting on with things by now .

I paid for searches which he said he hasn't started yet . We paid early Feb so he could do those while the mortgage and valuations were being completed .Then the survey came back with a few issues which we had to agree ourselves with the vendor as this so called solicitor never replyed to calls or emails .
There are a few things to be enquired with the local authority , flagged in the survey . I guess he hasn't done that either as he hasn't even looked at the survey .

So when I spoke to him on Monday he said "imagine you just started the whole process now " as you only instructed me after the mortgage offer was issued .Which we understand but for the fact that he can't even give us an estimated date for completion I am starting to panick that the vendor will end up pulling out as his text 4 am wasn't very friendly . I paid for searches before so he could get the ball rolling ...
Bearing in mind that this is a shared ownership property so apparebtly it takes long to complete .

We put an offer on the 12 of Jan , the mortgage was issued on the 15th of March . The vendor moved out by his own choice :cool:


Is this how it works ?

Thanks very much

I'm sorry a bit confused by your post.

Did you instruct him to wait until you had the mortgage offer before doing anything on the file? Nothing wrong with that and i believe it is best way forward but I'm not sure i understand why you expect him to be working on your matter beforehand?

Most solicitors ask for payment upfront for searches anyway.

WorriedFTB_2

Alchemist ,
No , the solicitor himself that suggested to wait for the mortgage offer so he could start reviewing documents . I imagined that this was a good idea in case the mortagage was refused.
I believe this has given him time to deal with his other clients also .
That makes sense that they ask the searches money upfront , I wasn't aware .

We are going to wait until end of next week and see how he is getting on .

Thanks for all the advice ! Happy Easter

WorriedFTB_2

SmlSave wrote: »

So when I spoke to him on Monday he said "imagine you just started the whole process now " as you only instructed me after the mortgage offer was issued

Did you?
If so, calm down and refuse to take calls from your seller.

Yes ! We are in no rush , happy to complete end of April beg of May .
We will ignore the seller

WorriedFTB_2

Shahni wrote: »

If your solicitor is as busy with completions before 1st April as we have been I doubt he will have touched any other files last week, or plan to next week. Its busier at the moment than the week before Christmas.

If you're counting from the time your offer was accepted it'll seem like you've been waiting ages, but the mortgage offer wasn't issued until a week ago. Its reasonable for your solicitor to wait for the mortgage offer before he starts spending your money. Imagine the alternative - he's run up hundreds in fees, obtained full searches, ready to exchange then you don't get your mortgage offer. Means a big legal bill for you and no property.

My advice would be to bother your solicitor as little as possible next week, then the week after arrange to pop in and see him, or at least a telephone call, and discuss the process from hereon out with estimated time scales. That way he can manage your expectations and you can have an idea of what needs to be done next.

Of course whether it even gets to that point is another issue with your unreasonable vendor texting you at ungodly hours.

Thank for the advice ! Very helpfull:D