Slow solicitor
Discussion
Am in the process of house purchase, shared ownership,
Started in March, found out last week, my solicitor has basically done very little, no contact with housing company, no contact with other parties solicitor, very poor communication, pleasantry emails etc but little or no progress, despite regular contact from myself.
Have now been contacted by the vendor and their estate agent chasing progress and in fairness the agent has done some work helping get things going, housing associations process started, ifa contact etc.
Also found out from other party, they used my solicitor in the past and had the same issue, literally calling daily to get anything done, I find this ridiculous really.
I have been advised threatening to complain officially is a good weapon to use, is there anything else I can do.
Other party is ready to go.
Started in March, found out last week, my solicitor has basically done very little, no contact with housing company, no contact with other parties solicitor, very poor communication, pleasantry emails etc but little or no progress, despite regular contact from myself.
Have now been contacted by the vendor and their estate agent chasing progress and in fairness the agent has done some work helping get things going, housing associations process started, ifa contact etc.
Also found out from other party, they used my solicitor in the past and had the same issue, literally calling daily to get anything done, I find this ridiculous really.
I have been advised threatening to complain officially is a good weapon to use, is there anything else I can do.
Other party is ready to go.
It's a real problem if everyone is chasing and you're getting crickets in response, happens and is infuriating, and conveyancing is brutal high volume crap and they're probably sat dawdling one 100+ other files per solicitor if it's any consolation.
First step is the firm's own complaints process, raise it to the supervising partner / practice manager in writing asking for what's been done on the file and what's outstanding, give them a 48hr deadline to respond, and be ready to move your file elsewhere when it inevitably comes and goes. Take one on recommendation if you can, there's no shortage of crap ones.
Legal ombudsman is where you'd raise formal complaints to initially - legalombudsman.org.uk
First step is the firm's own complaints process, raise it to the supervising partner / practice manager in writing asking for what's been done on the file and what's outstanding, give them a 48hr deadline to respond, and be ready to move your file elsewhere when it inevitably comes and goes. Take one on recommendation if you can, there's no shortage of crap ones.
Legal ombudsman is where you'd raise formal complaints to initially - legalombudsman.org.uk
Suffered similar in the past, Yorkshire area, wife ended up going in, knocking on doors until there was some action. Another in Darlington was so slow, needed constant chasing up too.
Sister currently trying to move on Tyneside, same story there.
We've had one good company of Solicitors, can offer a recommendation if you're buying or selling in Scotland, they're on the Isle of Skye.
Sister currently trying to move on Tyneside, same story there.
We've had one good company of Solicitors, can offer a recommendation if you're buying or selling in Scotland, they're on the Isle of Skye.
bergclimber34 said:
Have now been contacted by the vendor and their estate agent chasing progress and in fairness the agent has done some work helping get things going, housing associations process started, ifa contact etc.
This sounds confusing, because it's not obvious where the delay is coming from,Housing association - who's supposed to be dealing with that? You? The seller's agent?
IFA - who's supposed to be dealing with that? Presumably it's your IFA so you should be chasing them. Or is the seller involved in your finance?
Solicitors do tend to be glacial in my experience.
Post covid also as mentioned, as like many others I just don't give a many F's any more. WLB etc.
When I was buying a house, I was negotiating via my solicitor with the sellers solicitor and at one point my own solicitor told me I can't keep going back and forth, maybe just look for a cheaper house. I had lowered the offer once in response to survey results. Got it in the end, at the price i wanted, but I did wonder who my solicitor thought they were working for.
Post covid also as mentioned, as like many others I just don't give a many F's any more. WLB etc.
When I was buying a house, I was negotiating via my solicitor with the sellers solicitor and at one point my own solicitor told me I can't keep going back and forth, maybe just look for a cheaper house. I had lowered the offer once in response to survey results. Got it in the end, at the price i wanted, but I did wonder who my solicitor thought they were working for.
Blimey - selling late FILs place, the buyers moaned that it took 7 weeks, and that's with FIL's old solicitor doing it part time as he was also a district judge. We were getting emails from him at 11PM.
Buyer's solicitor (lady in Cumbria) was spot on at updating the EA's progress portal so we always knew where it was up to - ours refused to do that. I had to stop the EA chasing our solicitor - she was on to him the day after he'd been sent stuff and he was getting grumpy about it.
Buyer's solicitor (lady in Cumbria) was spot on at updating the EA's progress portal so we always knew where it was up to - ours refused to do that. I had to stop the EA chasing our solicitor - she was on to him the day after he'd been sent stuff and he was getting grumpy about it.
To recap
I presumed contact with the HA would be made by my solicitor on completion of me being the purchaser and signing off mortgage, as they go hand in hand when the property is sold, but apparently not, it was left to their estate agent to enquire about this, I was not guided, consulted, in any way so made a presumption it was being dealt with by solicitor, all very vague sadly.
IFA is linked to HA application, not a concern, not mine, theirs, my worry is the HA process would also take a while.
Solicitor is post checks raising enquiries.
I presumed contact with the HA would be made by my solicitor on completion of me being the purchaser and signing off mortgage, as they go hand in hand when the property is sold, but apparently not, it was left to their estate agent to enquire about this, I was not guided, consulted, in any way so made a presumption it was being dealt with by solicitor, all very vague sadly.
IFA is linked to HA application, not a concern, not mine, theirs, my worry is the HA process would also take a while.
Solicitor is post checks raising enquiries.
DT1975 said:
They do seem to work at their own pace in some kind of comfort zone, it's bloody annoying and just typical of the profession I think, there's just no urgency apart from the initial dealings when they want your work.
This is my experience, but I have only purchased three houses in 30 years.
I am sure there is a gap in the market to provide an online service that does not require chasing and just works in a given time frame.....
I am sure the waiting time far exceeds the value add time.......
mike9009 said:
I am sure there is a gap in the market to provide an online service that does not require chasing and just works in a given time frame.....
I have to deal with conveyancing solicitors at work, some are just an absolute pain and genuinely don't want any responsibility.
If you ever get charged for the solicitors sending letters to the lender, request a copy because 95% of the time it won't have been needed.
I've mentioned this in the "trivial things that annoy"... thread because it's disgraceful what some try and get away with.
If you ever get charged for the solicitors sending letters to the lender, request a copy because 95% of the time it won't have been needed.
I've mentioned this in the "trivial things that annoy"... thread because it's disgraceful what some try and get away with.
ked from the planet fThis is there business model.
Hard to justify their £’000 fee when work is done in days. It’s all a commonly accepted scam as you have little real recourse.
Luckily they are being disintermediated by the likes of PEXA.
Until then, fight fire with fire and sadly stoop down to their level to get your progress.
I wish you well. God speed.
Hard to justify their £’000 fee when work is done in days. It’s all a commonly accepted scam as you have little real recourse.
Luckily they are being disintermediated by the likes of PEXA.
Until then, fight fire with fire and sadly stoop down to their level to get your progress.
I wish you well. God speed.
Lots of advice already given but I think agents and solicitors play off the customers not really knowing what needs to happen.
So talk to everyone and find out all the steps. The sequence and then if needsbe performance manage your solicitor getting them to agree when they will do something by and checking they have.
Most solicitors just jump from one urgent thing to the next so unless you're chasing them, you wont be top of the pile.
So talk to everyone and find out all the steps. The sequence and then if needsbe performance manage your solicitor getting them to agree when they will do something by and checking they have.
Most solicitors just jump from one urgent thing to the next so unless you're chasing them, you wont be top of the pile.
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