Dealing with a difficult PA

Blue_bell_20

H.P.Bazxter said:

eddddy said:

It's normal for an Estate Agent to ask a buyer to provide ID, and proof of funds. (Proof of funds might be an AIP plus bank statements showing your deposit.)

It sounds like you are being a bit difficult, and the Estate Agent is suspicious about your motives.

When you say...

H.P.Bazxter said:

Temporary accepted price is also higher than what I intended to pay.

... do you mean you have offered a high price, with the intention of reducing your offer later?

If that's correct, it sounds like the Estate Agent has made a good judgement call, and is right to be suspicious of you.

It is not normal for PA to ask these info, I never experienced that in my previous purchases? In fact I never had to deal with PA once the offer was accepted. In this case they agreed to accept the offer and keep changing their mind.

They said they will fully accept the offer if I accepted their term (that they will continue marketing it for rental) and I said I won't. They then asked for additional documents before taking it off market, and I have done so, they are still not taking it off the market. I can't see how I am being difficult here, if I listen to any more of their ever-changing demands I am simply a push-over?

We had an offer accepted and in order for them to take it off the market we had to show proof of deposit (screenshot of balance was enough) and an AIP. Also we had to take our IDs and proof of our current address/utility bill to the EA. This happened recently (December) for reference.

H.P.Bazxter

They are a property agent, that is in their actual name (I guess because they rent more than sell?), and in my olden days of using this forum people used that term, apologies for not keeping up with the current trend, I didn't mean to offend!

I am not getting involved with gazumping (isn't that what sellers do?) or changing the price, but I think they are. I don't trust neither of them and just wished to arm myself with knowledge.

I explained why I want to buy this property already. I have no choice but to deal with these 2 unpleasant parties UNTIL I get my solicitor acting on behalf of me. Hence me asking here to find the information.

So despite their asking for weird documents request (seriously, has everyone here been asked to deliver several IDs personally to their office BEFORE they asked for the solicitor to check IDs? In this COVID day and age?? In Tier 4??? Surely if that is the legal requirement like they insist why nobody else asked for the same, like my mortgage providers, or my previous agents? Electronic copies, yeah, but why do I have to go to their office?) you are all insisting this agent is legit and proper, there is nothing dodgy about them changing the sales term in each email and I cannot argue about anything?

I've dealt with quite few agencies and I just know the current one is one of the worst, but only from my past experiences and not by knowing actual laws, so was hoping to find something to read on. Looks like there isn't anything that people are aware of, which is a little scary to find out and too bad for me. I also feel so bad for all the people complaining about the agency on Google review, as they are not in the power, but the agency is.

I am confident the sales will come through IF they actually want to sell, as there is no chance in hell they will find another tenant before March, let alone any potential buyer, I just have to hope my solicitor will start acting on behalf of me before they will start making even more unreasonable demands.

Thank you for the clarification.

HampshireH

H.P.Bazxter said:

They are a property agent, that is in their actual name (I guess because they rent more than sell?), and in my olden days of using this forum people used that term, apologies for not keeping up with the current trend, I didn't mean to offend!

I am not getting involved with gazumping (isn't that what sellers do?) or changing the price, but I think they are. I don't trust neither of them and just wished to arm myself with knowledge.

I explained why I want to buy this property already. I have no choice but to deal with these 2 unpleasant parties UNTIL I get my solicitor acting on behalf of me. Hence me asking here to find the information.

So despite their asking for weird documents request (seriously, has everyone here been asked to deliver several IDs personally to their office BEFORE they asked for the solicitor to check IDs? In this COVID day and age?? In Tier 4??? Surely if that is the legal requirement like they insist why nobody else asked for the same, like my mortgage providers, or my previous agents? Electronic copies, yeah, but why do I have to go to their office?) you are all insisting this agent is legit and proper, there is nothing dodgy about them changing the sales term in each email and I cannot argue about anything?

I've dealt with quite few agencies and I just know the current one is one of the worst, but only from my past experiences and not by knowing actual laws, so was hoping to find something to read on. Looks like there isn't anything that people are aware of, which is a little scary to find out and too bad for me. I also feel so bad for all the people complaining about the agency on Google review, as they are not in the power, but the agency is.

I am confident the sales will come through IF they actually want to sell, as there is no chance in hell they will find another tenant before March, let alone any potential buyer, I just have to hope my solicitor will start acting on behalf of me before they will start making even more unreasonable demands.

Thank you for the clarification.

Twice now you have said you have already told us things.

The first

"No, as I mentioned I don't live next to the vendor any more”

What you actually said was;

“I also know the vendor personally as he is my old neighbour, “     

but that he had tenants. So you didn’t say you didn’t live next door but it did imply they don’t. 

In your last post you say you have already said why you want to buy this property.  Unless there are posts I can't see, I can't see you have EXCEPT because you don't like the vendor and want him gone. Like a personal vendetta which would be a bit odd, So it was a sensible suggestion to ask why you don't just buy the better, nicer, cheaper one next door.

I re read the thread and still missed it so apologies if it's there somewhere.

Again good luck with your purchase

AdrianC

Slithery said:

davidmcn said:

Why do you keep on calling them "PAs"?

I was wondering that as well, I've never heard it before. I presume it's meant to stand for 'Property Agent'?

I assumed it was just one particularly stroppy secretary working at the EA...

AdrianC

H.P.Bazxter said:

They are a property agent, that is in their actual name (I guess because they rent more than sell?), and in my olden days of using this forum people used that term, apologies for not keeping up with the current trend, I didn't mean to offend!

Offend? No.
Confuse? Yes.

I am not getting involved with gazumping (isn't that what sellers do?)

Gazumping is where somebody makes a higher offer on a place that's already had an offer accepted, and the vendor then ditches the first buyer.

It takes two to tango.

I explained why I want to buy this property already. I have no choice but to deal with these 2 unpleasant parties

Correct.

...UNTIL I get my solicitor acting on behalf of me.

Which is pretty much immediate - until you instruct a solicitor, there's no memorandum of sale. Until there's a memorandum of sale, there's not really anything.

I've dealt with quite few agencies and I just know the current one is one of the worst

You quite literally have just two choices.
1. Grit your teeth and deal with them.
2. Walk away from this property and buy one listed by a different EA instead.
There is no option 3.

caprikid1

I think you need to get a solicitor instructed,  they are probably messing you around , but clearly the solicitor is the next step, not sure why you have not done this already.

GDB2222

If the OP had previously tried to buy this property, but it fell through, that might explain why the sellers are wary about the new attempt. Indeed, it is possible that the owners do not want to sell at all, just to let it, but they will entertain an offer at a suitably high price. 

Anyway, it’s up to the sellers to get vacant possession at the time of exchange, and the op has no say in what they do in the meantime. 

[Deleted User]

I tried to google the phrase 'Property Agent UK' and came up with loads of references to Estate Agents.  Nothing mentioned 'Property Agent'.  I've not heard the term Property Agent before the OP posted. I'm not sure its an update in how one refers to people who sell or rent properties, at least not in the last 20 years or more.  Possibly because the initials PA usually refers to a personal assistant.

Tiglet2

"I own a couple of properties and by no means a novice buyer, so I can tell what they tell me to do is not standard;

 -I was told the property won’t be taken off the market for rental unless I show AIP showing that I get residential mortgage (which I have, but it still is advertised)

-I was told the offer won’t be accepted unless I give them my financial advisor’s detail (I don’t have one)

 They are really unpleasant to deal with and VERY condescending, too. Frankly very rude considering I am the paying customer here.

They won’t accept my conditions for purchase and keep changing theirs even though it is all in email,

They seem to think they are in higher position for some reason?

 Can anyone suggest if there is a good information source for me to use what they are asking / telling me to do is outside of their professional conducts,

Just so I have some ground to argue rather than just give in?"

Have you checked the terms and conditions of this particular Agent?  I think many estate agents ask for proof of a mortgage offer now, especially as you do not appear to be using their internal mortgage advisor.  Does the Agent belong to a governing body, where there should be clear standards of service?  

Have you provided the Agent with a copy of your AIP?  Did you go through a mortgage advisor or did you source the mortgage yourself?  I think the Agent just needs proof that you have an offer with details of the mortgage advisor that arranged it, or confirmation that you have sourced it yourself.  

You say it is a residential mortgage but that you own several properties.  Are you intending to live in this property or rent it out?  If you are renting it out, you would need a buy to let mortgage surely?

I wouldn't have thought that the Agent would insist on you visiting them in person to provide your ID in Tier 4, perhaps a copy of suitable primary and secondary ID would suffice?  You need clarification on this.

Can you clarify what you mean by "your conditions of purchase"?   It sounds very vague.

[Deleted User]

2 big corporate agents around me have had aml updates saying they need to see physical copies of ID even in t4 and cant even rely on certified copies from the mortgage brokers working in their offices. 

Government says propert market us still open so regardless of tiers then normal money laundering checks need to be done.  That means showing where your money is coming from (deposit and aip) and ID.  If they ask for it face to face then so be it. That's how they are interpreting the aml guidance.