House selling frustration

spudsmum

Just here for a rant really

I accepted an offer on my property in August - no chain in either direction so we thought it would be fairly straightforward but the buyers solicitor as been a complete nightmare.

I posted on here before about him constantly raising the same enquiries over and over again that we have answered already. Anyway two weeks ago my solicitor got fed up with no movement and asked him for an update whereupon he came back with more questions (again ones that we've already answered!) but also saying all paperwork was in place so they were offering completion for 7th e.g. Today. - which we accepted.

Fast forward to yesterday and I contacted my solicitor as I'd heard nothing. She came back saying she had been chasing buyers solicitor all week but he's not returning her calls or emails.

Finally at 10.30 this morning she gets hold of him to find not only is he not ready to complete he's not even ready to exchange!! The file is with the senior partner waiting to be signed off but they haven't even drafted the completion statement or requested the funds from the buyers mortgage company.

I'm fuming, my solicitor is fuming and there's absolutely nothing we can do. Buyers solicitor said they'll "get in touch in due course to let us know when they're ready to proceed" but no indication of when that might be. I'm even more annoyed because they must have known this well before today and I doubt they'd even have bothered to tell us today if my solicitor hadn't demanded an update.

Aside from the huge inconvenience- I'd rearranged my week and taken time off so I could be ready to drop the keys off- the property is empty and costing me a fortune every day this goes on and now we have further delay due to their incompetence - GRRRR!!!!

G_M

Put your property back on the market.

jonnygee2

Hmmmm. So you were due to complete today, hadn't actually exchanged yet but didn't chase your own solicitor until yesterday?

Doesn't sound like the buyer is the only one who's being a bit casual. I'd have been on the phone every day since October personally.

ThePants999

And with the buyer, not your solicitor - they're the ones who need to kick their solicitor up the !!!!.

Thrugelmir

You don't make one mention of the buyer. What has the Ea said? They should be on the case. Keeping all parties informed.

spudsmum

jonnygee2 wrote: »

Hmmmm. So you were due to complete today, hadn't actually exchanged yet but didn't chase your own solicitor until yesterday?

Doesn't sound like the buyer is the only one who's being a bit casual. I'd have been on the phone every day since October personally.

Actually i have chased it several times since late September but just kept getting told they werent ready for various reasons either waiting for stuff from the buyers mortgage company, or back and forth going round and round in circles with endless enquiries that we've already answered. The plan was to exchange Thursday and complete Friday which should have been fine with no chain, my solicitor was expecting that to happen but then it didn't and their solicitor went AWOL. They were the ones that suggested completion today so why would I have any reason to think they actually weren't ready to???

spudsmum

ThePants999 wrote: »

And with the buyer, not your solicitor - they're the ones who need to kick their solicitor up the !!!!.

Thrugelmir wrote: »

You don't make one mention of the buyer. What has the Ea said? They should be on the case. Keeping all parties informed.

I don't have any contact direct with the buyer - I've spoken to the EA who says the buyer is as keen to move as we are however she's a FTB and i think from what the EA Said the solicitor is giving her the runaround too. I've asked EA to ask buyer to speak to her solicitor and tell him to get a move on which she says she has but it seems to have had zero effect

spudsmum

G_M wrote: »

Put your property back on the market.

Would really rather not at this time of year as nobody is looking to buy so it would be a pointless exercise. It's my very last resort.

AnotherJoe

spudsmum wrote: »

Would really rather not at this time of year as nobody is looking to buy so it would be a pointless exercise. It's my very last resort.

It wont be pointless it will show you arent going to be messed around.Its entirely possible as an FTB they are going to just back out eventually but lose you months as they vacillate. Tell the EA it goes back on 2 Jan if no exchange by then and make sure he communicates that to the buyer.

gnvqsos

Returning the property to the market would be a simple means of placing pressure on the potential buyer.
This shows how the sale of houses is actually hindered by estate agents-if you had direct contact with buyer it could be sorted pronto.

martin1959

Bear in mind it may actually be the FTB that are instructing their solicitor to delay. Longer delay means no mortgage payments and longer to save money for buying things when they move in.

Years ago I wanted to delay a purchase and the solicitor was going on holiday, so he hid the file so none of his colleagues could find it!

They have the price agreed, so unless the market is falling (in which cas as someone has said they may pull out anyway) they have nothing to lose.

Personally I agree with others and I would put property back on the market.