What a day!

FreeBear

GDB2222 said: You would  think that Recorded would mean that the document would be treated very carefully, but in practice it just means that it is far more likely to get lost or not delivered at all. 

No. Recorded delivery means that you get proof of delivery (used to be a signature, but that doesn't happen with Covid in the mix). Recorded delivery gets treated the same as all other mail, and the risk of loss or failed delivery is no greater.

If you want a delivery method with tracking, delivery conformation, to a timed deadline, and with compensation, then use Special Delivery - This is Royal Mail's recommended service for any valuable document.

Or you could use a same day motorcycle courier - Expensive, but the document will get there.

Slinky

I read the OP's first post that the document has been received and signed for at the solicitors office, but they have since lost it. There's nothing the OP could do to prevent that.

GDB2222

My experience is that, in the past, it's been dealt with differently as someone has to sign for it, rather than it being popped through the letterbox. I had been unaware that, because of Covid, FreeBear must be right, and it's not signed for any longer. 

So, the solicitor's office just lost it anyway.

badger09

mm1985 said:

Drawingaline said:

mm1985 said:

Had a call this morning from EA to let me know there seems to have been an error in communication. It was the solicitor of buyer at the bottom of the chain who said completion has to happen on 14th. The buyers are going out of the country but not until February so now we’re just waiting for solicitors to do their thing and hopefully we move within the next week but to be honest I feel like I’ve lost ability to care or get excited. Once we’ve exchanged/ if we exchange maybe I’ll allow myself to relax a little but until then I’m just a bit down about the whole thing

This is where I am at too! We have to complete on 27th otherwise our mortgage offer expires (29th) and we will pull out and not attempt another mortgage offer as this has been going on since July. I was so stressed until yesterday, as buyers solicitors asked for a boiler service to be completed. In January. In the middle of a lockdown 🤦 they have had since beginning of Nov to ask for this! Luckily our gas engineer who installed the boiler and who deals with it agreed to come, that was done yesterday, I sent a copy via email to the solicitors, so that is us out of the equation now. All enquiries answered last week for sale, purchase been ready to go since mid October. We cannot do anything more, all up to buyers solicitors and estate agents now. I feel much more relaxed. 

If it doesn't go through we will lose the entire removal fee, and have to pay most of the conveyancing bill. But by it taking three months longer than it should have we have the extra money sitting there. Will hate paying it for nothing, but not the end of the world.

We’ve now got a new date for the 20th. Our buyers solicitors needs to have checked contract and request their funds from their mortgage provider for this to be able to happen. Now what I would really like, and know may not be possible, is to exchange on Friday so I can sort the house on the weekend, repack what the kids have unpacked and get ready to move 

Really hope it happens for you. 

We’re still catching up on sleep after stressful move last week. Can’t believe we’ve been ‘playing house’ in our temp accommodation for a whole week. 

It will get better!

mm1985

I could be wrong about the delivery method but our buyer has a signature showing proof of delivery so it most definitely arrived. Our buyers ended up sending another contract on Monday. It arrived Tuesday morning. Our sellers Easte agent then put pressure on buyers solicitor who has said we can now complete on Wednesday. My solicitor has said this is confirmed and to book removals but I guess this could still change as we are yet to exchange