Solicitors

[HenryFord]

Hello, I am in the process of buying a leasehold property. I am having an absolute nightmare with conveyancing solicitors. My solicitors are asking the sellers solicitors for info and the sellers solicitors are simply not supplying it, saying that it is 'irrelevant'. So my solicitors blame the sellers solicitors and the sellers solicitors are blaming my solicitors. After 6 MONTHS neither solicitor has even contacted the freeholder, the management pack was only requested 3 months after solicitors had been appointed, the wrong lease was sent to my solicitor (by the sellers solicitors), but she only noticed it was the wrong l;ease after approx 2 months afterwards. So I have got to the stage after 6 months of this of this 'playground' behaviour of having to contact the freeholder and the management company myself to obtain information that neither solicitor thinks is their responsibility to obtain.....and quite frankly, I am sick of it!

My query is this....once this nightmare is all over I intend on finding out who is at fault....ie my solicitors or the sellers solicitors, or both. I intend contacting the Law society to help me do this. Can anyone shed any light on this process, will the Law Society help, will they contact both solicitors or does the seller have to register a separate complaint against his own solicitors - which I doubt he will as his solicitor is a family friend and who in the sellers eyes can do no wrong. Any help or advice is much appreciated.

[Buenchico]

The Law Society represents solicitors, not their clients. It's more likely that you need to involve the SRA in your complaint(s): https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/

[Canary42]

You have my sympathy - many years ago I had exactly the same problem with ping-pong between seller/buyer solicitors - bloody solicitors are a law unto themselves (pun intended).

I eventually resolved it by sitting in the solicitor's office and refusing to move until I'd witnessed him ringing the others to sort it out. The old *** wasn't happy, but he did it.

[AuntPollyGrey]

We've had a similar situation recently where our buyers solicitor knew three weeks before he let our solicitor know the 'chain' had broken and our buyers were not in a position to buy. We had already moved all the contents out of the house and were informed by a phone call 1 hour before we were due to exchange/complete on the sale. There is very little you can do as , like the medical profession, they close ranks very quickly.

[hellywelly4]

I really sympathise. Just going through the same nightmare myself. I can’t help with advice, but am sending a big hug - you are not alone!

[Peter Pedant]

make a decision or not

I revoked acceptance - what?
yeah - ay said - - "I said I would sell and now I will not and the reason is bad faith on behalf of the buyer"
I had taken a 20% dip.
and the estate agent said christ you are joking
and I said that the facts showed he didnt really want to buy

and I thought yes ! you are going to have to tell any seller that man may not be acting in good faith - good day to you sir !

and no I am not saying you should do so as well
just someone HAS done it

[Deskdiary]

I can't speak from a conveyancing POV, but I deal with solicitors a lot in a commercial capacity with contracts, and I honestly believe they are a hindrance to efficient commerce.

It seems to me they relish getting into a pis.s.ing contest and object to things that have no meaningful affect on the intention of the contract, which in turns results in an objection to by the other solicitor, and all this ego-boosting to-ing and fro-ing does is to increase their billable hours.

Seems to me this is not dissimilar to what you are experiencing.

I have yet to meet a solicitor who was ever ever ever wrong!