Conveyancing- is this normal?

hazyjo

sunlight1234 said:

I’m just bothered that this might delay things, especially if the vendors agree to carry out repairs and then need to arrange the works. 

It's more usual to drop the price and get the works done yourself. You don't know if they'll just bodge it.

If it's valued at the price you're paying, they'll probably say no to reducing anyway.

teachfast

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

TBG01 said:

teachfast said:

in_w4ves said:

It’s the same with my solicitor. They didn’t want to raise any queries before all searches were returned. And the searches took 5 weeks. It took pleading from me and rude emails from the vendors’ solicitor that things got moving.

I’m now 2 months on, got contracts ready to sign. Half the enquiries I raised I’ve decided to abandon as my solicitor only responds once a week at best. Now I can see the final line I do not want them taking 1 more week to acknowledge old enquiries, another few weeks to think about it etc etc. 

I just want to be done with it and see the end of the solicitors! (non of the queries were deal-breakers for me anyway)

And, of course, the solicitors know this. They also have your money and take their fee from it, which magically removes any sense of urgency and, in some cases, politeness. 

Apart from the fact most solicitors don't take their fee until completion. 

What? They know they're taking the fee on completion... before completion. 

A large proportion of transactions are aborted before completion, no completion no fee means just that.

Same difference. They know the money (if required due to completion) is already in the bank. It's a really well known and simple concept that having a guaranteed payment unsharpens resolve. Just ask any developer who still has things to finish after completion. 

Excuse me?  That's not how it works and there is no guarantee of payment.  If completion never happens, then all the work done to date on that file earned them the total sum of zero.   Why don't you stop spouting complete rubbish about something you know nothing about?

It's honestly like herding fish, but I'll try and be even more clear: In most jobs you get paid by the client after completion. It sharpens the 'professionalism' when the money is not already in the bank. Solicitors behave as they like because they know that when completion takes place, they just take their money. 

Yes, completion doesn't always take place but that does not negate the point that (if it does) then they already have the money. 

Why don't you try doing a job which you haven't already got the money for and see if you tend to do a better job of it, and become more careful about satisfying the client?

Anyway, you'll argue solicitors are the ultimate professionals until the cows come home, and continually obfuscate simple points like this one until the same homecoming. One glance at these forums tells you that the profession needs some serious re-professionalising. 

sunlight1234

Thanks for the replies. I'll contact the agent tomorrow. 

Tiglet2

teachfast said:

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

TBG01 said:

teachfast said:

in_w4ves said:

It’s the same with my solicitor. They didn’t want to raise any queries before all searches were returned. And the searches took 5 weeks. It took pleading from me and rude emails from the vendors’ solicitor that things got moving.

I’m now 2 months on, got contracts ready to sign. Half the enquiries I raised I’ve decided to abandon as my solicitor only responds once a week at best. Now I can see the final line I do not want them taking 1 more week to acknowledge old enquiries, another few weeks to think about it etc etc. 

I just want to be done with it and see the end of the solicitors! (non of the queries were deal-breakers for me anyway)

And, of course, the solicitors know this. They also have your money and take their fee from it, which magically removes any sense of urgency and, in some cases, politeness. 

Apart from the fact most solicitors don't take their fee until completion. 

What? They know they're taking the fee on completion... before completion. 

A large proportion of transactions are aborted before completion, no completion no fee means just that.

Same difference. They know the money (if required due to completion) is already in the bank. It's a really well known and simple concept that having a guaranteed payment unsharpens resolve. Just ask any developer who still has things to finish after completion. 

Excuse me?  That's not how it works and there is no guarantee of payment.  If completion never happens, then all the work done to date on that file earned them the total sum of zero.   Why don't you stop spouting complete rubbish about something you know nothing about?

It's honestly like herding fish, but I'll try and be even more clear: In most jobs you get paid by the client after completion. It sharpens the 'professionalism' when the money is not already in the bank. Solicitors behave as they like because they know that when completion takes place, they just take their money. 

Yes, completion doesn't always take place but that does not negate the point that (if it does) then they already have the money. 

Why don't you try doing a job which you haven't already got the money for and see if you tend to do a better job of it, and become more careful about satisfying the client?

Anyway, you'll argue solicitors are the ultimate professionals until the cows come home, and continually obfuscate simple points like this one until the same homecoming. One glance at these forums tells you that the profession needs some serious re-professionalising. 

Monies coming in from the mortgage lender and the client are not transferred to the client account with the solicitor until the day before completion.  Solicitors are not allowed to keep monies for long periods.  The 10% deposit for first time buyers is paid in the day before exchange, but that does not include solicitor fees.  So, a transaction that has taken 4/5 months to get to exchange has not earned any money until the day before completion.  So, if you want to be pedantic, they have their fees the day before completion but how is that in any way related to the way they behave, i.e. "unsharpens resolve".  There is no guarantee they will get their fees if one party pull out the day before exchange or earlier, so according to you, they "unsharpen their resolve" one day before completion?

I have never said that solicitors are the ultimate professionals. 

You are basing your opinions on your own personal experience, not from working as a conveyancer.   Your solicitor did not manage your expectations very well. 

teachfast

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

Tiglet2 said:

teachfast said:

TBG01 said:

teachfast said:

in_w4ves said:

It’s the same with my solicitor. They didn’t want to raise any queries before all searches were returned. And the searches took 5 weeks. It took pleading from me and rude emails from the vendors’ solicitor that things got moving.

I’m now 2 months on, got contracts ready to sign. Half the enquiries I raised I’ve decided to abandon as my solicitor only responds once a week at best. Now I can see the final line I do not want them taking 1 more week to acknowledge old enquiries, another few weeks to think about it etc etc. 

I just want to be done with it and see the end of the solicitors! (non of the queries were deal-breakers for me anyway)

And, of course, the solicitors know this. They also have your money and take their fee from it, which magically removes any sense of urgency and, in some cases, politeness. 

Apart from the fact most solicitors don't take their fee until completion. 

What? They know they're taking the fee on completion... before completion. 

A large proportion of transactions are aborted before completion, no completion no fee means just that.

Same difference. They know the money (if required due to completion) is already in the bank. It's a really well known and simple concept that having a guaranteed payment unsharpens resolve. Just ask any developer who still has things to finish after completion. 

Excuse me?  That's not how it works and there is no guarantee of payment.  If completion never happens, then all the work done to date on that file earned them the total sum of zero.   Why don't you stop spouting complete rubbish about something you know nothing about?

It's honestly like herding fish, but I'll try and be even more clear: In most jobs you get paid by the client after completion. It sharpens the 'professionalism' when the money is not already in the bank. Solicitors behave as they like because they know that when completion takes place, they just take their money. 

Yes, completion doesn't always take place but that does not negate the point that (if it does) then they already have the money. 

Why don't you try doing a job which you haven't already got the money for and see if you tend to do a better job of it, and become more careful about satisfying the client?

Anyway, you'll argue solicitors are the ultimate professionals until the cows come home, and continually obfuscate simple points like this one until the same homecoming. One glance at these forums tells you that the profession needs some serious re-professionalising. 

Monies coming in from the mortgage lender and the client are not transferred to the client account with the solicitor until the day before completion.  Solicitors are not allowed to keep monies for long periods.  The 10% deposit for first time buyers is paid in the day before exchange, but that does not include solicitor fees.  So, a transaction that has taken 4/5 months to get to exchange has not earned any money until the day before completion.  So, if you want to be pedantic, they have their fees the day before completion but how is that in any way related to the way they behave, i.e. "unsharpens resolve".  There is no guarantee they will get their fees if one party pull out the day before exchange or earlier, so according to you, they "unsharpen their resolve" one day before completion?

I have never said that solicitors are the ultimate professionals. 

You are basing your opinions on your own personal experience, not from working as a conveyancer.   Your solicitor did not manage your expectations very well. 

It's not about making money from the money. It's about having it in hand before the job completion. 

I am basing my opinions on my experiences, yes. Sadly I'm having those repeatedly and almost daily confirmed here on these boards and in the wider media (Radio 4 and Breakfast TV today, for example).

The profession is a shambles and should be ashamed. Self reform won't happen and this government is too busy back-slapping over vaccinations and Rishi handouts to do anything in a hurry, unfortunately. Until then, thousands of people arrive at the same opinions as me. But I guess it's a bit like the myth of the pain of childbirth: once it's done you forget and move on. And that's what the whole arrogant profession relies upon.