Dodgy Estate Agent Abusing Vulnerable

Secret_Squirrel

theartfullodger said:

Contact council adult social services 

That's the next step.  Thank you.

Secret_Squirrel

UnderOffer said:

Ensure they do not sign anything. Do they have a solicitor? Make sure it’s not the EA recommended solicitor too, get an independent one, but I’m guessing if your friend does not engage a solicitor then the property can’t be sold? Can you contact the EA and voice your concern, they may not take any notice if you but I’d at least warn them you are on to them. 

I'll ask if anything has been signed - I haven't seen anything. However, the EA has been so shifty that anything signed isn't worth the paper it's printed on.  I am totally confident I have all the story - seeing the for sale sign, buyers have arrived at the property saying they are interested. They've been told to make an appointment with the EA. EA claims that only one person in several months has been interested in buying. Another wrote a letter saying they'd been turned away by the EA, who told them that the sale was almost complete. None of these times has the EA told the seller about the interested parties, which is against the property ombudsman's code of contact and most importantly against the law, apparently.

Secret_Squirrel

SallyDucati said:

Is it a chain estate agent or individual one?  Is the EA handling it the main owner?  I would say try going to the top in the agency, at least they would then know someone is looking out for this individual.

It appears to be a chain/franchise. The person at this EA officer dealing with this is the boss.

Secret_Squirrel

Weathergirl_76 said:

HampshireH said:

Follow the complaints procedure like the ombudsman have said 

If that unhappy just reject Every offer. Terminate the contract or take it off the market

This is good advice. I would also ask another independent agent to provide a valuation to back up your findings. I would not remain with the agent you have. Check the T&Cs to see notice period etc.  I would also (in the interests of the seller) nominate a single point of contact for anything to do with the sale as no doubt the agent will try to keep the seller in the contract. 

Another independent agent has valued the property 200k more. Another 150k more. It's been the boss of the EA handling everything.

Secret_Squirrel

Jumblebumble said:

Secret_Squirrel said:

I'm outraged and furious about this estate agent. However, I'm going to have to be circumspect about revealing specifics about the identities of those involved... for now at least.

A disabled, elderly homeowner with learning difficulties is being taken advantage of by said estate agent charged with marketing the property for sale.  The estate agent is currently actively turning prospective buyers away and has marked it as sold when the seller has repeatedly (on advice for a helpful 3rd party) rejected an offer thousands of £s under the listed price and even thousands of £s lower than the value. The agent deliberately undervalued the property, convincing the seller that it would be advantageous for them to do so. They listed the property as smaller than it is and are actively working against the pensioner's best interests by forcing the pensioner to sell it to a prospective buyer, who made a derisory offer and who appears to be their friend. 

The abuse and deceit are so scandalous that we've tried to bypass their complaints procedure and report them straight to the Property Ombudsman, who've said that we need to complain to the estate agent first.

Any advice on what to do?

How can an estate agent force someone to sell?
Why have you or your homeowner not complained to the estate agency?
I would hazard a guess that the homeowner is so stubborn that they will not give you authority to act on their behalf

Don't hazard that guess. What an odd, presumptive thing to say. The homeowner has asked me to have power of attorney. We've only just discovered the full extent of the situation.  The EA is trying to make out that absolutely no one wants to buy the property, which is reasonably sizeable, in a desirable area, in good to middling condition.

Secret_Squirrel

youth_leader said:

Very sorry to read this.  My divorced Mum was frightened thirty years ago when the EA tried to buy her house from her for peanuts, and he kept sending round his builder.  I like your baseball bat 'naming' rik11186, wish I'd thought of it, I went in to see the EA who turned out to be a cocky young kid, and played merry hell. 

Thank you. Sorry to hear about that situation with your mum. Sorry, I don't understand this part of your reply "I like your baseball bat 'naming' rik11186, wish I'd thought of it".