Local Authority search taking 8 weeks?

Jordan579

Hi,
I need some advice as I'm a FTB and currently buying a new build flat which is built and ready to move in to. Everything was going pretty smoothly, until my conveyancer got involved!

I stupidly went with the solicitor the estate agent recommend, but as I'd heard of them before and they're a pretty big firm I thought it would be easier if I just went with them.

According to my conveyancer, she ordered all the searches on the 1st June and the searches would be returned to her in about 2 weeks, which she confirmed in an email. This was after I paid the £350 which was required for them. There's been a few weird things happen with the solicitor but I could be here all day! So I'll just stick to the main point lol.

I got an email from the EA last week, saying that the searches had been 'delayed' until the 27th July as there was a backlog at the council due to them merging at the beginning of the year (an email from the EA, not the conveyancer I'm paying nearly £2000 for!). The next day I emailed the council to ask what are the time frames for searches to be returned and they said it's taking them 12 working days to complete the searches.

Obviously I emailed the solicitor straight away asking why it was taking 2 months and I got the reply that the solicitors use a 3rd party company to complete the searches so the council time frame isn't right. But I tried to explain to her that the EA said it was a delay with the council and didn't mention anything about a 3rd party but she just kept saying it's nothing to do with the council basically.

I know there are 3rd party companies that do searches, I'm not worried about that. What I don't understand is I thought those companies would surely have to go through the council to get the relevant information? I wouldn't normally mind, but I don't trust the conveyancer.

I know it's probably a stupid question but has anyone heard of local searches taking 2 months?

Many thanks!

Barny1979

The third party company will have to request the land charges information from the council as they hold the up to date information.

Smodlet

Searches take as long as they take as, unfortunately, do Local Authorities and solicitors. They are a drag. Eight/nine weeks is not that long and it is the holiday season. Stay strong.

youngmre

Our local searches took forever, ordered beginning of May and recieved them 13th July. So just over 2 months. We found out the name of the 3rd party company in the end and checked directly with the local authority to try and speed things up. There was a back log at the local authority but then the 3rd party sat on it for 2 weeks!