Buying a home and don't know how anything works

[kalidarkone]

Ah this whole saga just gets more ridiculous. Emailed the estate agent for an update and was told:

I have been advised this morning that the solicitor dealing with the file on behalf of the vendor has now left the company and the file has been passed onto another member of the team, which is very frustrating.

They have still not received the final redemption figure and are still chasing. I will keep chasing and I have asked the vendors to give them a chase too.

Give me strength!!! Fuckwits!!!

 

[miss direct]

But on a more positive note....
I have now spoken with the vendor and they advised me that the final redemption figure should have been faxed over to their solicitor yesterday, however they provided the solicitors contact details that has now left. So I am just awaiting an update from the team to make sure they still have access to that email account.

faxed?? Surely whether faxed, emailed or carrier pigeon, this number can be retrieved and we can get on with it...

 

[hash tag]

Living in hope here.

 

[miss direct]

Is there anyone who knows better than me re this being the very last step? I mean once someone locates this mystery figure, is there now all sorts of other hoop jumping to go through? I have until about the 20th/21st now...

How can a solicitor just leave in the middle of things? Unless they got the sacked...or quit without notice..

 

[Elpenor]

They wouldn’t tell the clients until the last minute usually. That’s been my experience of working in practice - not law but professional services. We weren’t meant to tell the clients we were leaving until the last week or so, because the first question will be “who’s handling my account now” and it was always a last minute decision who had capacity to take on new clients.

People leave jobs all the time, your solicitor probably handed in their notice a while ago. There will always be matters left unfinished such as yours

 

[equationgirl]

Sometimes legal services people are forbidden from telling the client they are leaving, because of their contractual obligations around enticing clients away to new firms (unless they brought the client in when they joined).

It does unfortunately mean that some jobs do get left unfinished.

 

[Riklet]

Dont wanna be too brutal but id be extending your room for another month (at least) if you want to stay put. Youre putting a lot of pressure on yourself with the 2 week thing. You only have to give a months notice anyway right?

Sounds pretty shitty the solicitor leaving.

 

[miss direct]

Aye, well my lady is back on Monday so I'm expecting (or will be making) a lengthy phone call once she's caught up with all the missing action.

With the ease at which I could extend by two weeks, I'm imagining I can also extend further without it being much of an issue. But those few hundred pounds could also buy me a sofa or something, so I'd rather wait a little longer.

 

[miss direct]

Ugh, just when I was feeling that it wasn't so bad in the shared house, and the aggressive guy started shouting his head off because I'd taken his wet laundry out of the washing machine (which consisted of three things, had been in there for hours and he'd gone out) so I could wash my clothes. Ugh.

 

[miss direct]

My lady is back from annual leave and I've had an update this morning. Basically saying they are waiting for a statement for a charge from some other solicitors (who I've googled). So we now have three solicitors involved.

She did say that the sellers are eager to complete and this information is being chased daily. Pft, daily, how about hourly?

 

[prunus]

Is there anyone who knows better than me re this being the very last step? I mean once someone locates this mystery figure, is there now all sorts of other hoop jumping to go through? I have until about the 20th/21st now...

How can a solicitor just leave in the middle of things? Unless they got the sacked...or quit without notice..

It’s difficult to tell. It certainly could be, it’s one of things that can be a last step; however solicitors have a tendency to work linearly (rather than doing lots of things in parallel), so they may have been waiting for this in order to do whatever the next thing on the list is. From what you’ve been saying it doesn’t sound like that though, so I’d think it probably is the last things.

If it was me I would be getting a copy of the title, which will list all the charges and restrictions, and asking specifically:
Do we have a redemption figure for X?
Do we have a redemption figure for Y?
And so on.

re: solicitors moving on. They do this all the time! They tend to move on repeatedly like a vicar in a bordello. It’s so annoying. Just stay put for god’s sake.

 

[miss direct]

I've gone through all my papers (hard to locate as mid packing) and found the title. There are so many things listed under "proprietorship register" and "charges register". One of the charges matches the name mentioned in the last email - should I assume that all the others have been dealt with, or possibly consolidated? I've emailed my solicitor and asked whether this really is the last step.

 

[prunus]

I've gone through all my papers (hard to locate as mid packing) and found the title. There are so many things listed under "proprietorship register" and "charges register". One of the charges matches the name mentioned in the last email - should I assume that all the others have been dealt with, or possibly consolidated? I've emailed my solicitor and asked whether this really is the last step.

The charges register is the important bit here; each entry under there will have to be satisfied for the transaction to proceed - especially if it contains wording like “no disposition of the registered title is to be made without permission of X”.

Hopefully all the others have been dealt with as you say, and it does sound like it, but no harm in triple checking for your sanity.

You could ask specifically “do we have redemption undertakings for the charge from X, and the one from Y, and the one from Z etc?” But asking if the currently problematic charge is the last step should be the same thing.

Good luck! Keep on hanging in there.

 

[miss direct]

"The sellers solicitors are waiting for one last redemption figure, once they receive this they will have to confirm they will discharge all charges registered on the title and prepare a completion statement for us including the apportionments. We should then be able to complete."

 

[prunus]

"The sellers solicitors are waiting for one last redemption figure, once they receive this they will have to confirm they will discharge all charges registered on the title and prepare a completion statement for us including the apportionments. We should then be able to complete."

Ok that sounds good.

The confirmation that they will discharge all charges bit is the undertaking I’ve mentioned before - basically an unbreakable promise from a solicitor that they will do as they say. Because it’s unbreakable they have to be absolutely sure they can fulfil it - hence they need the redemption figure from each chargeholder and an undertaking from each chargeholder’s solicitor than on receipt of that amount that the charge will be released before they can make it. This is why it has to be done and can’t just be sorted out later, even though it seems like it should be able to be, especially for small amounts.

A completion statement is basically equivalent to the redemption figure - it’s the amount of money that when they receive it from you their promise (undertaking) to you to remove the charges and register the property in your name is activated.

That’s how it all works - promises that on receipt of £x they will do Y. This has to be completely set up all up and down a chain, including side branches for any charges anywhere on the chain, for the whole chain to complete. You can sort of see why the whole process is so fraught really (I know you’re not in a chain, just for illustration).

Hope that all makes sense!

 

[equationgirl]

"The sellers solicitors are waiting for one last redemption figure, once they receive this they will have to confirm they will discharge all charges registered on the title and prepare a completion statement for us including the apportionments. We should then be able to complete."

Haven't they been waiting a while for this one last redemption figure?

 

[miss direct]

Yes! And apparently it's now available but seems to have been lost in a fax purgatory somewhere. Absolutely hopeless.

 

[equationgirl]

Yes! And apparently it's now available but seems to have been lost in a fax purgatory somewhere. Absolutely hopeless.

Yeah, bullshit.if it's in a fax, it's written down with a copy in the sender's file. Even if the fax machine needs more paper, most models store the info until more paper is added, then spit out the fax.

Who the hell is still using faxes???

 

[prunus]

Yeah, bullshit.if it's in a fax, it's written down with a copy in the sender's file. Even if the fax machine needs more paper, most models store the info until more paper is added, then spit out the fax.

Who the hell is still using faxes???

You think that's bad? I know of at least one solicitor who does everything by post only.

 

[hash tag]

Yeah, bullshit.if it's in a fax, it's written down with a copy in the sender's file. Even if the fax machine needs more paper, most models store the info until more paper is added, then spit out the fax.

Who the hell is still using faxes???

Wrong fax number?

Can someone give me a prod in case exchange or completion takes place in case I miss it.
I really really thought and hoped this would be over a while ago

 

[Puddy_Tat]

at least there's a chance we can all legally come round for the house warming party when it happens

 

[Glitter]

My Gran’s house completed last week. She was still alive when mine went on the market.

 

[Epona]

Ok that sounds good.

The confirmation that they will discharge all charges bit is the undertaking I’ve mentioned before - basically an unbreakable promise from a solicitor that they will do as they say. Because it’s unbreakable they have to be absolutely sure they can fulfil it - hence they need the redemption figure from each chargeholder and an undertaking from each chargeholder’s solicitor than on receipt of that amount that the charge will be released before they can make it. This is why it has to be done and can’t just be sorted out later, even though it seems like it should be able to be, especially for small amounts.

A completion statement is basically equivalent to the redemption figure - it’s the amount of money that when they receive it from you their promise (undertaking) to you to remove the charges and register the property in your name is activated.

That’s how it all works - promises that on receipt of £x they will do Y. This has to be completely set up all up and down a chain, including side branches for any charges anywhere on the chain, for the whole chain to complete. You can sort of see why the whole process is so fraught really (I know you’re not in a chain, just for illustration).

Hope that all makes sense!

 

[Thora]

We are no closer to an exchange date, but the estate agent emailed some photos today from our sellers of the herb garden "they are growing for us" wtf

 

[equationgirl]

We are no closer to an exchange date, but the estate agent emailed some photos today from our sellers of the herb garden "they are growing for us" wtf

That is a bit wtf. If they want a herb garden grow it in their new place.

 

[kalidarkone]

We are no closer to an exchange date, but the estate agent emailed some photos today from our sellers of the herb garden "they are growing for us" wtf

I hope its the 'good' type of ' herbs'.

 

[Thora]

I hope its the 'good' type of ' herbs'.

Apparently the husband is a policeman...

 

[marty21]

My mum's buying a house has hit various snags , you'd think that as a cash buyer with no chain it would be a breeze

She's buying on a relatively new estate on the outskirts of Bath , and it seems the management company have not charged for estate services in 4 years (estate cleaning,ground works ,lighting,etc) so she doesn't want to face a bill for the past 4 years when they eventually get around to charging folk. And the property she wants to buy seems to be liable for upkeep of a path shared by 3 other houses. Not unreasonably, she wants the costs shared, but as those 3 bought with the understanding that they weren't responsible for that path (despite being the only people who use it) it has put the blockers on at the moment. She can wait for this to be resolved as she has no urgent need to move (she is staying with my 2 sisters, a shared custody arrangement )

 

[Leafster]

My mum's buying a house has hit various snags , you'd think that as a cash buyer with no chain it would be a breeze

She's buying on a relatively new estate on the outskirts of Bath , and it seems the management company have not charged for estate services in 4 years (estate cleaning,ground works ,lighting,etc) so she doesn't want to face a bill for the past 4 years when they eventually get around to charging folk. And the property she wants to buy seems to be liable for upkeep of a path shared by 3 other houses. Not unreasonably, she wants the costs shared, but as those 3 bought with the understanding that they weren't responsible for that path (despite being the only people who use it) it has put the blockers on at the moment. She can wait for this to be resolved as she has no urgent need to move (she is staying with my 2 sisters, a shared custody arrangement )

Don't the deeds for each of these properties contain a covenant to ensure each one is responsible for a share of the upkeep?

 

[equationgirl]

My mum's buying a house has hit various snags , you'd think that as a cash buyer with no chain it would be a breeze

She's buying on a relatively new estate on the outskirts of Bath , and it seems the management company have not charged for estate services in 4 years (estate cleaning,ground works ,lighting,etc) so she doesn't want to face a bill for the past 4 years when they eventually get around to charging folk. And the property she wants to buy seems to be liable for upkeep of a path shared by 3 other houses. Not unreasonably, she wants the costs shared, but as those 3 bought with the understanding that they weren't responsible for that path (despite being the only people who use it) it has put the blockers on at the moment. She can wait for this to be resolved as she has no urgent need to move (she is staying with my 2 sisters, a shared custody arrangement )

I'd be looking for somewhere else if I were her.