Draft Contract Timescales - Please Advise!

cedge

We completed a house a few weeks ago now, and the draft contracts still have not been sent to our Solicitor so no searches have been started.

The owner passed away and the sale is being handled by 3 daugters, 1 in this country, the other 2 in the USA.

All our surveys have been done and we are expecting our motgage offer in the enxt few days but the searches which take upto 4 weeks have not been instructed by our solicitor as they say they need the draft contract.

Is this normal to have to wait nearly 4 weeks for the draft contracts to be written and sent? I have chased the EA about 4 times now and we are getting fed up!

Any other experiences on this kind of purchase?

Happy_saver_4

The length of time taken for a vendors solicitor to prepare a draft contract is dependant on many things, title deeds etc. It can also depend on how 'doddery' the vendor's sols are. Even their hols. I'm afraid sols do not realise or consider the extra stress and problems caused generally by their tardiness.

Discuss the problem with your solicitor. Ask has he dealt with the vendors sols before and does he consider it normal. Ask him to please find out if and what problem is causing the delay. Then, report the situation to you immediately. Your sols can put more pressure on the vendor's sols than your EA.

Don't forget your sols must act for you. The EA is acting for the vendor or his own best interest - never you !

cedge

We found out the delay is that they haven't got the title deeds yet and they don't know when they will be either

Rose999

That's a nightmare! We have had the same problem, only other way round. Nationwide said our deeds were with a solicitor (would not say who but it was not our solicitor!). Eventually after many many phone calls, it turns out that they have had 3500 requests for deeds in the last while and are having to retrieve them manually! I told my solicitor this and he said I should ring back and tell them I was lodging a complaint and going to the Financial Ombudsman as there was a danger our sale would fall through because of this. I did so and lo an behold, the deeds were sent out yesterday!!
Perhaps the vendors are in the same situation?

cedge

I have no idea but it has been 4 weeks now, the finance and Survey's side is complete, just wating on the legal side which can't start until these deeds are found

Rose999

cedge wrote:

I have no idea but it has been 4 weeks now, the finance and Survey's side is complete, just wating on the legal side which can't start until these deeds are found

I think you really need to push these people into finding out where the deeds are. Tell them that they are in danger of losing the sale. Surely if they want to seel the house they will be prepared to put in a active role of searching the deeds out!