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AIBU?

..to want to visit Countrywide Property Lawyers and beat the Solicitor with a big shitting stick?

63 replies

KazzaRazza · 23/04/2012 17:52

I am in the process of selling my house. I accepted the offer in the middle of January. My buyers are first time buyers and I am moving in with my parents until I find somewhere to buy, so only 2 people in the chain - simple you would think, if only.

My buyers opted to use Countrywide Property Lawyers and we are supposed to be exchanging today with completion set for Friday. A representative of CPL confirmed on Friday, by email, that all enquiries were answered and would be requesting the mortgage funds. We have now been advised by a different representative, as the one from Friday has swanned off on her holidays for a week, that they can't exchange today as they are not happy with the info supplied regarding an extension that was built 10 years ago (before I moved here and my Solicitor didn't have a problem with it when I bought the place), oh and they didn't request the mortgage funds on Friday.

CPL have had the paperwork for weeks. I have already moved my DD and animals to my parents and am currently surrounded by boxes as the removal firm are booked for Thursday.

So, my question is as above - AIBU to want to visit CPL and beat the Solicitor with a big shitty stick?

OP posts:
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GreenEggsAndNichts · 23/04/2012 17:58

YANBU at all. Wish I had more to add. Selling a house is a nightmare :(

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NoraHelmer · 23/04/2012 18:00

I used to work for solicitors and they hated having the deal with CPL - never the same person twice, different information each time. All in all a pain in the backside. I wonder how much repeat business they get? :o

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CogitoErgoSometimes · 23/04/2012 18:01

Without even reading your post... YANBU. Anyone associated with house moves should be regularly beaten as standard.

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KazzaRazza · 23/04/2012 18:11

Thanks all, after typing my OP I poured myself a large glass of wine and feel a whole load better.

Am going to take some laxatives tonight so my big shitty stick is going to be really shitty!!!! Grin

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NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 23/04/2012 18:16

I've used CPL. I thought they were very good but I can understand why you are upset with them today OP.

In our case, the sellers solicitor was refusing to answer any of the questions they were asking because my husband was related to the people selling the house and so "he ought to already know the answers." Hmm

He almost made the sale fall through (and cause a massive family rift) because he didn't want to do his job and because, as he told both me and the family member selling the house, he hated CPL and said they could go whistle for their answers.

I've been admin for an estate agent and all to often solicitors have gone on holiday and nobody covers their work and everything is held up, which is one of the reasons we chose CPL in the first place, they do have holiday cover.

When we sold that house and bought the one we live in now, our seller was using the same solicitor and my heard sank. He was again just as rude and useless as the first time we had been in contact with him.

And it turned out that our house needed two insurance policies taking out on it before our mortgage lender was happy, one to guarantee that the off road parking would always be valid as it is reached by a private access road and one to ensure that the building work which has been done isn't in contravention of a clause in the deeds allowing the council to insist the house is returned to it's original design.

All these things were done before our seller bought the house, using this same solicitor, and were things that he had never picked up on when he should have. He was very rude about our solicitor making a fuss about such unlikely things but I think it was all bluster for not doing the job properly himself when his clients bought the house.

He is the reason why we exchanged very late on Friday and moved first thing Monday morning, instead of having a week between them. And it took a threat from me to sue him just for being alive to achieve it (and the complaint to the ombudsman I threatened to put it, which you can do to CPL too)

None of which helps you, sorry (except perhaps the ombudsman bit) Smile. But my long and rambling point is, either someone at CPL has picked up on something a colleague has overlooked, which hopefully you can rectify with a quick fax through of the paperwork they need or someone at CPL has overlooked something their holidaying colleague already knows and you should still be able to exchange and complete this week.

Hope things work out quickly for you.

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DublinMammy · 23/04/2012 19:05

Fucking fuckers, what a nightmare. YANBU. Hope it gets sorted out.

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Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 23/04/2012 19:10

I used to work for them. I HATED it, hated the company, the way we operated, the team system, the lack of decent management, the lack of decent training. Diabolical.

Most of my colleagues were odd or horrible or both. Except for me. I am lovely.

So, OP, YANBU at all. Please let me know when the beating is to take place so that I may watch.

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lisaro · 23/04/2012 19:13

YABU - send someone bigger than you with a big shitty stick!

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Annpan88 · 23/04/2012 20:00

Alliwantisaroomsomewhere I used to work there! you Cardiff or Manchester? PM if you like I won't out you!

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Katiekitty · 23/04/2012 20:04

Kazza - make it a very shitty stick if you can, they deserve it.

Brings back all manner of daily nightmares when I used CPL for a house sale and they lied about every aspect of the sale. A 28 day cash buyer exchange took about six months in the end. Sim months of soul-destroying hell.

I feel your pain and hope you find a swift resolution.
Wine

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DelGirl · 23/04/2012 20:09

i'm using cpl for a sale and purchase, seem ok thus far. I live abroad and homes are in the uk. I used them as I thought it would be easier as they are linked to the estate agent I used which turned out not to be that great but they have at least found me a buyer The agent i'm buying from wasn't that impressed. I am hoping that my selling agent will kick a@@ if they don't get a move on Hmm

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aquafunf · 23/04/2012 20:09

when we moved, our buyers used them- first time buyers.

we were buying my mums house-she was moving into rented. we had practically everything done before we even put the house on the market.

it took them 12 weeks to exchange and complete. even then we ended up exchanging and completing on the same day. and it was a week past even our worst estimates which meant that we moved on the first day of the new school term, without help and the day dd started a new school.

they buyers were lovely. the sols were shockingly awful. it was only the fact that i didnt want to lose our first time buyers that stopped me putting the house back on the market

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pinktrees · 23/04/2012 20:10

My mum used CPL in the past. I can only describe them as scum.

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Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 23/04/2012 20:11

Gawd! Bloody embarrassed to admit that I ever worked for them!

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Shakey1500 · 23/04/2012 20:14

CUNTrywide (as called at our house) are the most unprofessional company in all respects. I made a formal complaint against them when their employee decided to take £150 out of my bank account, using my card details without authorisation, a whole 6 months after a property purchase fell through. Think he thought we wouldn't notice, twat.

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DelGirl · 23/04/2012 20:16

oh heck Sad, well, i'll keep my fingers x then . However, aren't alot (not all) solicitors slow in dealing with conveyancing? I've never heard anyone say they'd had a great one if i'm honest.

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NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 23/04/2012 20:17

Ours were the Manchester branch and were lovely.

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DelGirl · 23/04/2012 20:22

I should have asked a fellow mner but may have wrongly assumed there would be a conflict of interest or something similar.

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DelGirl · 23/04/2012 20:23

fellow mner as in rl friend I mean

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Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 23/04/2012 20:26

Delgirl, don't fret! There are some lovely people there that know what they are doing! I hope all goes well for you.

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DelGirl · 23/04/2012 20:34

thanks, well according to my case number on their site, it all seems to be moving along but I am realistic I think in that I have given it a 3 month minimum turnround. I can also break the chain if needs be on my purchase so that should simplify things as i'm the last in the chain of 3 that way.

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DelGirl · 23/04/2012 20:38

does that make sense? what I mean is, I don't have to move straight away into the purchase place so can complete on the sale and then move, they don't have to be tied. Sorry op, taking over but you set the cogs in motion.

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GreatBallsOfFluff · 23/04/2012 20:58

CPL are a nightmare to try and deal with. I work in the conveyancing department in a firm of solicitors and there's always a groan if we find out the other side is CPL . Delgirl you'll get there in the end with them but to be honest we always say 6 to 8 weeks for a transaction which unless something goes tits up then we stick to it.

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KazzaRazza · 25/04/2012 14:37

Thanks for all your comments.

I would love to be able to say we have exchanged contracts and are completing on Friday but as it stands I have more chance of pissing on the moon!!!!!

There does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel as I sent a very polite but firm email to the Chief Operating Officer who has asked the Director of Operations to look at the paperwork and get this sorted!

Will let you know.

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buckleymichael · 17/05/2013 20:28

Never never use CPL, as Iv found to our cost.

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