Solicitor delayed completion of mortgage - paying extra interest

Jonboy1889

I’m having a delay with my remortgage completion due to Optima legals system issues. Was supposed to complete 25th but solicitors delayed it to 27th (when the money was sent), but they didn’t ask Lloyds to send the cashback. So was delayed to today, but now they are having system issues so can’t see the cashback from Lloyds coming through.

Now completing tomorrow hopefully, but Lloyds have confirmed we are paying interest since the initial intended completion date. 

anyone had experience with getting refunded for additional interest due to solicitor delays?

dimbo61

Email or write to your solicitors.
Optima Legal services ?
Not Purple Bricks by any chance ?

izawa

I had my experience with Optima few years ago, got it for free from new mortgage company. They were awfully slow.

K_S

@jonboy1889 Lender free legals? Once the remortgage is complete, might be worth putting in a formal complaint asking for them to pay you the amount that you are out of pocket due to their delays. I've done this in the past (with mixed success) for clients where lender free legals have delayed remortgages (unfortunately not uncommon with free legals) and cost them extra, usually due to the old mortgage falling on to SVR. 

Jonboy1889 said:

I’m having a delay with my remortgage completion due to Optima legals system issues. Was supposed to complete 25th but solicitors delayed it to 27th (when the money was sent), but they didn’t ask Lloyds to send the cashback. So was delayed to today, but now they are having system issues so can’t see the cashback from Lloyds coming through.

Now completing tomorrow hopefully, but Lloyds have confirmed we are paying interest since the initial intended completion date. 

anyone had experience with getting refunded for additional interest due to solicitor delays?

user1977

A complaint to the bank, I take it, rather than Optima? Optima will be getting paid buttons by the bank (in line with the service standards accepted by the bank for "free" legals...) so aren't likely to be shelling out compensation themselves.

K_S

user1977 said:

A complaint to the bank, I take it, rather than Optima? Optima will be getting paid buttons by the bank (in line with the service standards accepted by the bank for "free" legals...) so aren't likely to be shelling out compensation themselves.

@user1977 To the conveyancer, on behalf of the client, with a clear calculation showing the excess amount of interest paid. I can't recall whether I've complained to Optima, but definitely remember having done so successfully with Enact. It's almost always remortgages that are set up months before the fix ends and they still manage to delay completion with their ineptness, causing the client to fall on to SVR.

As far as I am aware, there is no special dispensation from the lender towards the free legals provider for significant errors/delays that are clearly attributable to the provider and cost the client money.

I can't say that every single free legal provider is trash, but where there is a choice of cashback or free-legals, I always steer the client towards using the cashback and engaging a fixed-fee (covered fully by the cashback, sometimes with a surplus for lenders like Nationwide that offer £500 cb) no-completion no-fee conveyancer. Generally speaking, they are usually easier to contact, chase and can often continue to be used even if the lender is changed prior to completion.