Complicated selling situation + Purplebricks + conveyancing + new leases

sluisdejesus

My mother is currently trying to sell a flat that is one of two after a 3 bed house (FREEHOLD) was converted  (lender approved works and all planning permission sought and signed off with building regs)

Local Purplebricks rep came over and the whole signing contract affair was done quite swiftly with assurances that the process of drawing up new leases for the two flats would be easy and their conveyancing company would deal with it no problem.

After having the property on the market for 3 weeks there was an offer at asking price and my mother accepted. Conveyancing company started taking details then the buyer suddenly pulled out - after enquiring we were told that they'd been told by their solicitors that drawing up a new lease would take a year and they couldn't wait around that long.

After lots of to and fro with PB rep and conveyancing company we're at a stalemate - lawyers refusing to do the new lease paperwork without a buyer in place and PB rep refusing to relist as no buyer is going to wait a year to complete (understandably of course!

I've spoken to the firm who originally took care of the purchase of the house and been told that the whole process should take around 6 months but that they can't take it on while PB conveyancers are involved.

I've tried to find anything in contract to see if any fees would be due to PB conveyancing firm if we tell them to sling a hook and ask the local firm to take the case on but nothing is jumping out at me.

My mother is mighty cross to be stuck with PB even though she can't move on with this but I'm trying to see if I can get this situation moving without the extra fees of having to find a new estate agent too.

Any help much appreciated! 

Slithery

I thought that you were only forced to use PB's conveyancers if you took their 'pay nothing until you've moved' deal, and that by paying upfront you could use whoever you wanted as your solicitor?

Or is this not a thing anymore?

sluisdejesus

Slithery said:

I thought that you were only forced to use PB's conveyancers if you took their 'pay nothing until you've moved' deal, and that by paying upfront you could use whoever you wanted as your solicitor?

Or is this not a thing anymore?

Well "pay nothing until you move" is listed in the contract as pay nothing until it sells *or after 10 months but I stupidly didn't run it through with a fine toothed comb before mum signed it so that's that

We didn't realise PB conveyancers would be so god awful (again I didn't do my due diligence) so were happy not to pay the fees just yet but I'm looking to try find a way to use someone who will actually do the work

Slithery

Can she not change her mind now and pay upfront? I thought that you used to be able to.

Snookie12cat

The PB solicitors I believe were hacked before Christmas and they were unable to do anything on cases for many weeks. Lots of sales fell through. 
They are probably playing catch up which is why they have the crazy long time quoted to do the work. 

sluisdejesus

Slithery said:

Can she not change her mind now and pay upfront? I thought that you used to be able to.

That's what I'm hoping for as I can't find anything in the T&C but hoping I haven't missed something obvious. Mum is in her mind to sack PB entirely but I'm trying to convince her to get her money's worth at least!

Snookie12cat said:

The PB solicitors I believe were hacked before Christmas and they were unable to do anything on cases for many weeks. Lots of sales fell through. 
They are probably playing catch up which is why they have the crazy long time quoted to do the work. 

I didn't know that and they hadn't mentioned it at all. It's been a nightmare trying to get answers about anything out of them and with them refusing to start the new lease process without a seller is really frustrating!

user1977

sluisdejesus said:

they'd been told by their solicitors that drawing up a new lease would take a year

Why do they think it would take a year? It takes a few working hours to draft a lease. What did your mum's solicitors have to say about it?

sluisdejesus

user1977 said:

sluisdejesus said:

they'd been told by their solicitors that drawing up a new lease would take a year

Why do they think it would take a year? It takes a few working hours to draft a lease. What did your mum's solicitors have to say about it?

Land Registry working from home, severely backlogged etc could take a year. I just think they don't want to do it. I don't understand how they expect a buyer to wait this long when the process could be started now instead of waiting for another offer that will inevitably fall through when they find out the wait.

TBG01

user1977 said:

sluisdejesus said:

they'd been told by their solicitors that drawing up a new lease would take a year

Why do they think it would take a year? It takes a few working hours to draft a lease. What did your mum's solicitors have to say about it?

Yes, but that's just drafting. There's likely to be back and forth between both sides. You also have to factor in getting someone to draw up lease plans. It's not year long job, but it's not a quick job either.

sluisdejesus said:

user1977 said:

sluisdejesus said:

they'd been told by their solicitors that drawing up a new lease would take a year

Why do they think it would take a year? It takes a few working hours to draft a lease. What did your mum's solicitors have to say about it?

Land Registry working from home, severely backlogged etc could take a year. I just think they don't want to do it. I don't understand how they expect a buyer to wait this long when the process could be started now instead of waiting for another offer that will inevitably fall through when they find out the wait.

The Land Registry can/will expedite the registering of the lease if it's holding up the sale. But as I say above, drawing up a new lease isn't as simple as the estate agent made it out to be (Chalk that up as another example of an estate agent not knowing the actual conveyancing process)

canaldumidi

Whether Purple Bricks or any other EA, it is standard advice here not to use an EA recommended conveyancer (or financial services).

Same with New Build Developers. Avoid their recommended conveyancers and choose your own.

I realise that does not help you much now, but re-iterate it for others starting out who may be reading this.

Thrugelmir

sluisdejesus said:

My mother is currently trying to sell a flat that is one of two after a 3 bed house (FREEHOLD) was converted  (lender approved works and all planning permission sought and signed off with building regs)

Sounds as if no thought was given to the challenge you now face though. Do you have a plan B? Sell the entire property for example.