Has anyobe complained about their solicitor after a ssle?

depressed_but_determined

We exchanged today and should complete tomorrow but our solicitor has made the whole process so much more stressful than it had to be. There's no chain, we are now in a rented property and our buyers are ftb.

We have paid their fee in order to complete tomorrow but has anyone complained after the sale. We have basically done half the work for them and it's been the worst week ever, I thought we would lose our buyers due to miscommunication and their solicitor unable to get a hold of ours.

They requested the title deeds last month then only noticed they hadn't arrived on Friday and we were told it could take 5 working days to recieve them! Cue nervous buyers and umpteen calls from my other half to our mortgage company and even the third party holding site.

We haven't heard a peep today except from our buyers who told us they had signed and it was all going ahead tomorrow.
I'll be surprised if the solicitor even tells us its complete.
I know you live and learn but if I performed in my job the way they have I'd be out on my ear!
Fingers crossed all goes well tomorrow.

eddddy

What are you hoping will be the outcome of your complaint?

I'd guess that at best, you will get a letter of apology. But you might end up with a letter saying the solicitor has done nothing wrong.

I'd be tempted to just move on, rather than investing more time and emotional energy in something like this.

But if you do want to progress it... first, follow the solicitor's own in-house complaints procedure. If you are unhappy with the outcome, complain to the legal ombudsman.

See:
http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page
http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/

mije1983

I'd be minded to let it go and just never use them again, and if you get asked by friends for recommendations, don't recommend them!

You don't want to start life in your new home concentrating on what's gone wrong before. Enjoy your new home.

smallholdingsister

I have and got £200 refunded.

However the conveyancer had neglected a significant part of the process.

You would write to the firm's own complaints partner in the first instance.

You might struggle unless you have something concrete though.

always_sunny

I thought pretty much everyone complains about the solicitors after the sale!
My seller had [to me] also a shocking solicitor who would take ages to do anything and was getting ready to walk. But, you never know if the other party solicitor is buying time at the request of their client.

Buying in England is a big a circus and you're just going to the show really.

marksoton

depressed_but_determined wrote: »

Cue nervous buyers and umpteen calls from my other half to our mortgage company and even the third party holding site.

.

The what?

Sounds like you've used a cheap conveyancing factory. If so i doubt you'll get a satisfactory resolution. Probably best to just leave it for your own sanity.

easilydistracted

I did, but because they sent essential completion documents and my financial information to a completely different client. The only reason I found out is due to that client writing to me. This was made worse when I asked for their complaints procedure and followed that. Hilariously they sent me the internal procedure for dealing with complaining clients, which was a bit offensive (as in you had to decide how to deal with the complainant based on whether you thought they were an unreasonable or difficult person) and I had to highlight that they sent me the wrong thing, so they started on the back foot.

Ultimately the complaints investigator not only upheld most of the complaints I made (there were other issues in the process) but also discovered that some of the conveyancing had not been finished and they owed me money held on account. I got about £400 back plus the money on account, but that's because breaching the data protection act is so serious. I probably could have held out for more but wanted to draw a line under it.

BJV

I thought about it. Long story short I was the one who wanted to move from a house we all loved but was a bit small. Found what will be perfect home ( after loads of work ) the day of exchange the house we where selling exchanged and then ( last minute ) charges where found on the house we where buying which meant we had no where to go. It took four months, kennels, storage, lots of expense, levels of stress I have never felt before, and I can cope with a lot.

I honestly did want to complain but !!!!! while we where in rented ( well a caravan in Jan freezing) my priority was to get the house. Now we are in I can not see much point as I am sure that they would wheedle their way out somehow.

For the sake of a couple of hundred pounds TBH the whole process was so bad I am not sure that I would ever want to re-visit the feelings and stress again.

P,s Good luck in your new home

HouseBuyer77

always_sunny wrote: »

I thought pretty much everyone complains about the solicitors after the sale!
My seller had [to me] also a shocking solicitor who would take ages to do anything and was getting ready to walk. But, you never know if the other party solicitor is buying time at the request of their client.

Buying in England is a big a circus and you're just going to the show really.

I was perfectly happy with my solicitor. Other friends and colleagues have also had good experiences.

All (including me) hired local firms with good reputations on recommendations from others. This isn't the cheapest route but it's certainly a lot more pleasant!

pimento

Write the letter. You'll feel better just for getting it all out. You can decide whether to send it afterwards.

Good luck in your new home.

Bonfire_Bride

always_sunny wrote: »

I thought pretty much everyone complains about the solicitors after the sale!
My seller had [to me] also a shocking solicitor who would take ages to do anything and was getting ready to walk. But, you never know if the other party solicitor is buying time at the request of their client.

Buying in England is a big a circus and you're just going to the show really.

Maybe our solicitor was one in a million but she was fantastic! We also completed on our sale today and I'm happy that she will also be handling our purchase in appeox 6 weeks.

We had an issue with our EA but today paid their full fee after they responded to our complaint. I could take it further but to be honest, I just want to focus on the future now and don't want to dwell any further on the negative.

If you really feel they caused you financial distress or substantial stress, then write the letter...