Solicitor provided incorrect bank details - chaps payment missing

Tabieth

How awful. I hope you get it all back very soon. And definitely make a compliant to the solicitor. 

GDB2222

saajan_12 said:

The money will come back, evidenced by the fact that the £1 did. Unfortunately there's no telling how long, as it would have gone into a big pile of payments that have gone wrong and wait for someone at the bank to manually figure it out. 

The more likely issue is really whether it'll be back in time for your completion. Have you exchanged? If not, then hold off until the money is back.  If yes, then you have to wait, and retain any evidence you have of the original bank details etc to try to claim from the solicitors if you suffer any costs from delayed completion as a result. You'd have a good case but given the bank details were from a mailing 5 months ago (even with their disclaimer) and there's limited proof of exactly what was said in a phone call, I wouldn't say its a slam dunk. So you still need to minimise costs. 

It's not just the OP's costs, but everyone else's in the chain.It's worth looking at this (lengthy) article to see what's involved:  https://cunningtons.co.uk/delayed-completion/

The best solution, as it's known in advance that the funds have gone AWOL temporarily, is for the entire chain to agree to delay completion by a few days. Of course, they don't have to agree, but that's less stressful than everyone getting their furniture packed into removal vans, despite knowing that completion won't take place.  

babyblade41

surely when you put in the bank details to do the transfer your bank checks to see if the details are correct... not sure why your bank allowed this if the details have changed 

user1977

babyblade41 said:

surely when you put in the bank details to do the transfer your bank checks to see if the details are correct... not sure why your bank allowed this if the details have changed 

It might flag if the account was in a different name, but does it (instantly) "know" that an account has been closed?

AskAsk

babyblade41 said:

surely when you put in the bank details to do the transfer your bank checks to see if the details are correct... not sure why your bank allowed this if the details have changed 

that is a good point!  when we made the payment to a closed mortgage account, it was sent because it was to lloyds bank and the mortgage account was only the reference number but if the solicitors account had been closed, the payment process should flag up that it can't find the account.

very strange.  particularly with large payments, the chaps process often ask you all sorts of questions for anti money laudering.

AskAsk

user1977 said:

babyblade41 said:

surely when you put in the bank details to do the transfer your bank checks to see if the details are correct... not sure why your bank allowed this if the details have changed 

It might flag if the account was in a different name, but does it (instantly) "know" that an account has been closed?

if it doesn't then there is a flaw in the system!  but it isn't impossible that the system can't tell if an account has been closed as it never had names of the recipients for many years! 

jr92897

babyblade41 said:

surely when you put in the bank details to do the transfer your bank checks to see if the details are correct... not sure why your bank allowed this if the details have changed 

Correct - it all matched up, account verified etc, and certainly nothing to say the account had been closed!

Thanks for everyone's replies, it helped put my mind at rest big time. The money has now returned to my account, thank god. I will be raising a formal complaint with the solicitors as soon we've completed.