Solicitor

alice_kate_2

Morning

My buyer's solicitor is being a nightmare, not returning calls to anyone or giving any updates in terms of where we are at to my solicitor, estate agent or even my buyer.

We need to exchange ASAP and I've asked my solicitor to chase them twice a day, once morning and once afternoon as they are not getting a response and they are refusing to do so.

I'm a bit fed up as I am paying them and they are refusing to do what I have asked to get this moving. Where do I stand? Can I insist they chase more?

Thanks

eddddy

You need to chase the buyer (perhaps via the EA). It's for them to chase their solicitor.

And bear in mind that buyers often blame their solicitors, when the delays are actually their own fault.

Do you know exactly what your solicitors are waiting on? Is it something that the buyers must do? Have you asked the buyers if they have done it?

Your only real recourse is to start suggesting to the buyers that you will think about re-marketing your property, if they don't get a move on.

LittleMax

What stage are you at? What responses are you waiting for? What are your buyers saying - are they not concerned by the hold up? Are you sure it is the solictors causing the delay and not your buyers?

I would be inclined to put the pressure on the buyers - the solicitor works for them.

Edit - I should've just waited Eddddy put it so much better than me!

alice_kate_2

We're really close to exchange. They think we're waiting for searches. I know this is isn't the case - the buyer has a copy sent from the solicitor so they obviously have them somewhere. I am in direct contact with buyer and they are as frustrated as me.

Buyer is going in this morning to talk to them hopefully she gets somewhere.

We have put pressure on and they are not responding.

alchemist.1

Your solicitors don't have a magic wand to make them respond. Chasing morning and afternoon is pointless and I have agree with your solicitors that the same is an unreasonable request.

Just because you are paying them doesn't make them slaves to you.

Only the buyer can do anything.

eddddy

alice_kate wrote: »

They think we're waiting for searches.

Who is "They" and who is "we"? (It's difficult to decipher your post.)

More to the point - when your buyer says to their solicitor "Are we ready to exchange? If so, when will it happen?", what is their solicitor's reply?

LittleMax

alice_kate wrote: »

We're really close to exchange. They think we're waiting for searches.

Who is they in this sentence? The Buyer's Solicitors or The Buyers?

alice_kate wrote: »

I know this is isn't the case - the buyer has a copy sent from the solicitor, so they obviously have them somewhere.

Their Solicitor? How do you know? How do you know they aren't waiting for additional searches?

alice_kate wrote: »

We have put pressure on and they are not responding.

They don't have to they don't work for you - you need to keep the pressure on your buyer.

LittleMax

eddddy wrote: »

Who is "They" and who is "we"? (It's difficult to decipher your post.)

Glad it's not just me!

alice_kate_2

So sorry for the awful post! I typed it in a rush. Let me try to clarify:

My solicitor has confirmed that I am ready to exchange on both my purchase and sale.

The buyer's solicitor has stated that they are not ready to exchange as they haven't received the Local Authority Searches or buyer's gifted deposit letter.

The Local Authority Searches have been done - I know this as my buyer has a copy and I also spoke to the council directly myself.

The buyer's solicitor's said they were chasing the gifted deposit letter from the buyer however, the buyer had not heard from them at all.

The buyer's solicitor's aren't responding to anyone, even the buyer, hence the buyer going there in person this morning.

Is that clearer?

old_hat

Feel your pain

We had a buyer pull out when the solicitor took some issue with the lease. The buyer told us they still wanted the property but wanted the lease issues resolved but the solicitor refused to do any work saying they had not been instructed. The buyer said this was not the case. This went on for 3 weeks.

Btw the lease issues did not exist and we had written confirmation to confirm this but the buyer kept saying they wanted to see it but the solicitor said they did not want to do the work.

Lesson learnt is to be clear from the outset and if we have a buyer or solicitor that starts to play silly games re market. Ive had enough of game players. For us it is just about moving

DaftyDuck

Just be warned that a buyer/seller may say one thing (my solicitor is sooo slow and useless) but instruct solicitor otherwise (... and hold off sending that document for now, as I'm looking at another house this weekend... ) and be delighted to have the excuse to blame the solicitor.

I might even have done something vaguely similar once, but I'd never admit it, or tell anyone...ever....

Solicitor got a bottle of whiskey as always (he does so prefer the Scottish stuff )