Estate agents not sending written rejection

pieroabcd

Hi,
it's already the second time that my purchase offer is rejected only verbally. Never in written form, in spite of my insistence.
Two different houses and two different estate agents.

Shouldn't they write down the rejection?
If I wanted to to close down completely the matter, should I write them a letter or would an email be enough? I wouldn't want to leave things hanging for their use when it's convenient for them.

Thanks.

user1977

What do you mean by "hanging for their use"? The offer isn't contractual, there aren't going to be legal consequences of it being accepted, rejected or just left in limbo.

Slithery

Perfectly standard not to. Why do you need it written down?

anselld

Why would they expend administrative cost when an offer is not proceeding?

There is nothing they can "use when it's convenient";  how would they possibly do that?

pieroabcd

Well, if there's nothing that they can do with it and no consequences for me then i'm good, thanks.
I tend to concern for nothing :-)

Grumpy_chap

Did you make the offer in writing?

pieroabcd

yes. One over email, the other signing a form with docusign with the clause "subject to contract and survey"

eddddy

pieroabcd said:

yes. One over email, the other signing a form with docusign with the clause "subject to contract and survey"

It's sensible to send your offers by email - but signing an offer form with docusign is a bit of an unusual thing to do. Did the EA ask you to sign your offer with docusign? 


Anything you say in the email or the signed form will not be binding and will be assumed to be "subject to contract" - so it's not vital that you say "subject to contract", but it won't do any harm.


Personally, I wouldn't do the docusign signing of an offer on a property - I'd worry that the EA would think it's a strange thing to do, and perhaps wonder why I had done it. (Unless the EA asked you to do it.)

Redwino222

Are you a first time buyer?

I am not aware of any solicitor providing written confirmation that an offer has been rejected.  I am buying my third house, and have bid on many but have only ever recorded written confirmation when my offer is accepted.

I have also only ever bid verbally, over the phone.  That is standard practice in my experience and in my area,

NameUnavailable

pieroabcd said:

Shouldn't they write down the rejection?

No, all you need to know is that your offer wasn't acceptable. Sometimes that will be obvious by the lack of any response, but it's normal for the EA to tell you (less common to put it in writing but some will, if you submitted it by email).

I don't know why people get so up tight about offers on property - unless it's at auction, all you are doing is saying "would you sell me your home for £X" and then they say yes, or no, or no but I would take £Y. If you get to a price you both agree on then you start the lengthy, tedious and stressful process of actually trying to get a deal done. Until your solicitors exchange contracts and you pay your deposit, nothing is binding and either party can walk away from it.

It's really that simple.

Doozergirl

pieroabcd said:

yes. One over email, the other signing a form with docusign with the clause "subject to contract and survey"

I can see now why you're talking about leaving things hanging.  If you don't send a docusign, there's nothing to leave hanging.  

Nobody does that.  If the offer is accepted, the estate agent sends out a Memorandum of Sale to both parties and their solicitors.  They've both got the paperwork thing handled - it's what they get paid for.  

Most offers are dealt with over the phone and maybe backed up with an email if asked to, or perhaps if you fancy it. 

The docusign thing is a step too far.  No one is ever going to sign a document written by the buyer and, as I said, there are already people in the process that get paid for producing paperwork.  Leave that out.