Help! My seller's solicitors are useless

Bigphil1474

We agreed sale in March and didn't move until August - mostly down to our solicitor asking for the same documentation multiple times or asking the same queries that had already been answered. Had to keep telling them we already had that stuff. In the end we had to go behind their back and speak to all parties to agree an exchange and completion date then just told our solicitor those dates and they'd better be ready. They were.

MrsLewis2000

Really sorry you are going through this. It's very stressful. 😥 We had a similar situation recently selling our house in Wales. Offer accepted 9th April, contracts exchanged 2nd September, completed 5th September. Buyer's solicitor just wouldn't respond to my solicitor, their client (our buyer), the estate agent for ages. Everyone was so upset and frustrated at the time wasted.

I think a complaint was made in the end because suddenly another solicitor from the firm took over the sale and got things pushed through. Maybe your buyer could look at his solicitors formal complaints process and consider whether it's worth pursuing? 

Our purchase in Scotland was so quick in comparison, I've vowed never to buy in England or Wales again. The system is just too much for my stress levels. I really hope you get some positive news soon. 🙂

Bossyboots

Do your vendors have a copy of the enquiry answers? If so why don't they let you have a copy to read and pass on to your own solicitor or via the estate agent.

I was once selling a property and my own solicitor wouldn't supply a document on a point of principle. I had a copy, supplied it to the estate agent who forwarded it on. I did get what my solicitor was saying, but I was not prepared to lose the sale because it.

horsewithnoname

From the other side of it, I sold an inherited house and the buyers conveyancer was stalling, so between me and the buyers they told their conveyer that if it wasn’t done by a certain date that I would remarket the house and lo and behold it all went through in a matter of days. 

I’d obviously told the buyer that I wasn’t going to remarket it, I didn’t want to add to their stress, but it worked!

knightstyle

All this goes to show you can't beat a decent local solicitor.  We moved just under 8 weeks after our second viewing and having our offer accepted.  We already had a buyer for our property lined up and we and the seller used the same solicitors practice so no buck passing there.