Just had enough

Ou812bd

I don't know where to begin.
I was supposed to exchange contracts and set a completion date today (which was agreed- or so I assumed- for Friday).
This could have happened last week- but my selling conveyancers said that ex-wife had not agreed to exchange (she did, she copied me into the email).
My ex-wife an I are on the same page. We are not creating any problems for anyone.

Since Friday

-Vendor's Estate Agent phones me to say that Vendor wants to exchange and complete ASAP.

-Contact my selling solicitor (have a separate solicitors for selling and buying to avoid conflict of interest due to divorce) and ask to exchange and complete ASAP

-Contact my buying solicitor and ask to exchange ASAP

-Buying solicitor emails everyone (I am in on the email) asking if exchange Friday and completion the following Friday possible

-Buyers need to confirm funds, which they do by today (Monday)

-Become aware of lack of further communication between solicitors on the Friday and send email asking what is going on. I am having one set of solicitors asking me what the other is doing and vice versa.

-I am asked by my selling solicitor today to give 'unqualified authority' to exchange and complete. I reply- 'not until the rest of the chain is saying they are'.

-Receive another email from my selling solicitor to OK exchange- I say that I need to know that the rest of the chain is doing the same. She tells me to phone them- and I ask her 'why aren't you phoning them?'

-Receive phone call from my selling solicitor that the vendor's vendor's solicitor apparently wasn't aware of the completion and says no- they want a later date.

Now, if I were my buyers, and I was as 'annoyed' (to put it mildly) as I am, I would understand them pulling out tomorrow morning.

I do not understand why there was not full chain communication.

I have two broken hearted children who are crying their eyes out right now as they though that they were moving into their new home on Friday.

And there is nothing I can do.

anselld

If everyone in the chain says "I am not ready until everyone else has confirmed" then it is a Mexican standoff.  The process is that each solicitor asks their client for permission to exchange and the client says "yes" (unconditionally).  Then the solicitors all confirm with each other and exchange is done. 

Nobody should be promising anybody to move anywhere until exchange is confirmed because it is often a moveable feast.

Tiglet2

If you don't give the authority to exchange, they won't exchange.  

If you give authority to exchange, but others in the chain are not ready, then the exchange won't happen. 

canaldumidi

Ou812bd said:

I don't know where to begin.
I was supposed to exchange contracts and set a completion date today (which was agreed- or so I assumed- for Friday).
This could have happened last week- but my selling conveyancers said that ex-wife had not agreed to exchange (she did, she copied me into the email).
My ex-wife an I are on the same page. We are not creating any problems for anyone.

Since Friday

-Vendor's Estate Agent phones me to say that Vendor wants to exchange and complete ASAP.

-Contact my selling solicitor (have a separate solicitors for selling and buying to avoid conflict of interest due to divorce) and ask to exchange and complete ASAP

-Contact my buying solicitor and ask to exchange ASAP

-Buying solicitor emails everyone (I am in on the email) asking if exchange Friday and completion the following Friday possible

-Buyers need to confirm funds, which they do by today (Monday)

-Become aware of lack of further communication between solicitors on the Friday and send email asking what is going on. I am having one set of solicitors asking me what the other is doing and vice versa.

-I am asked by my selling solicitor today to give 'unqualified authority' to exchange and complete. I reply- 'not until the rest of the chain is saying they are'.

-Receive another email from my selling solicitor to OK exchange- I say that I need to know that the rest of the chain is doing the same. She tells me to phone them- and I ask her 'why aren't you phoning them?'

-Receive phone call from my selling solicitor that the vendor's vendor's solicitor apparently wasn't aware of the completion and says no- they want a later date.

Now, if I were my buyers, and I was as 'annoyed' (to put it mildly) as I am, I would understand them pulling out tomorrow morning.

I do not understand why there was not full chain communication.

I have two broken hearted children who are crying their eyes out right now as they though that they were moving into their new home on Friday.

And there is nothing I can do.

What you can do is give both your solicitors unconditional permission to Exchange/Complete. Of course they won't do it till everything and everyone is in place - that's their job! They just want to know that a) you are commited/not changing your mind b) you don't have some personal reason to delay (eg kids birthday, grandad's week staying with you away from the care home) and c) ... there was a c when I started writing but I've forgotten it!

Ou812bd

Ah, but I have separate selling and buying solicitors due to divorce and conflict of interest. My buying solicitor was willing to exchange without agreement from above as ‘my onward purchase is not her concern’ (!). 

Ou812bd

Sorry selling solicitor rather!!!