Stubborn, persistent and very hard to kill off. There is an invasive species that lurks underground and affects every single property transaction in the UK. It doesn’t matter what you do, but it will find the cracks and will stop at nothing to keep growing, whilst at the same time further embeds its roots in the surrounding area.
The only way if you are affected, is to inject it with a chemical cocktail or preferably remove it by full excavation.
Uncanny
I am, of course, talking about dreaded Japanese Knotweed; however, the similarities with some conveyancing solicitors are uncanny. As I have regularly referred to, the point from Under Offer to Exchange of Contracts has never taken so long, nor been so torturous as it is currently.
To put this in perspective, a client of mine agreed to sell her property to a buyer who was in a small, well-managed chain.
This had progressed to the latter stages, with the solicitors below having a sizeable head start on us. It all checked out, so we ran with it. Soon, we were all ready to exchange; however, the solicitor at the bottom then went silent for two weeks. No communication from them or their colleagues, and understandably, all parties then became highly agitated.
Unannounced
Fearing the whole chain would collapse, I took matters into my own hands. I drove 45 minutes to the uncommunicative solicitor and walked into their offices unannounced. I didn’t hold back. Having been caught out, the two office heads scuttled out to see what the commotion was about.
They told me that their colleague who handled that file had gone off on honeymoon and they would be back soon. I was aghast – how can this solicitor act against their own client’s best interests by just leaving their file and then hold the rest of the chain, plus all their advisors, to ransom?
Sure enough, soon after my visit, we exchanged contracts; however, this was wholly unnecessary and avoidable if they had acted in a professional manner.
I have equally had another instance where the solicitor acting for a client said that it wasn’t up to them to help their counterpart conveyancer. Yes, in part this is true; however, rather than wait for even more time to elapse, myself and the selling agent suggested some quick fixes to resolve. We mediated between both solicitors, and sure enough, we got an agreement.
Frustrations arise in conveyancing due to the lack of communication and stubbornness to sometimes progress matters.”
So you see, frustrations arise in conveyancing due to the lack of communication and stubbornness to sometimes progress matters. More infuriating is that myself and the estate agents end up having to do their job for them. If we don’t, then the deals don’t happen.
Behind the scenes, it is a constant ongoing discussion about which conveyancing solicitors are performing best. The higher quality estate agents are also putting in the time and effort up front to ensure that both buyer and seller are using solicitors that are collaborative and help the cause, so they are more likely to transact and thus get paid at the end.
Solicitors love belt, braces and cast-iron guarantees. However, in the real world, these don’t exist, and it is how one best navigates through to ensure that both sides get the reassurances they need, rather than most who simply fold their arms and give up.
Trend to pay more
I am now seeing a trend that people are prepared to pay more for quality conveyancing, if it means there is less stress, hassle and they have their wishes fulfilled, which is getting the deal done. Very few conveyancers make the grade in my eyes and if they don’t perform the way they should, they may just get an unannounced visit from me.
Author bio
Alex Goldstein is an independent property consultant who helps clients buy and sell residential property locations such as Yorkshire, London and the Home Counties.