Slowest solicitor I ever used

My mortgage broker recommended I use Griffiths Ings for a property transaction I which started in October 2015. They were considerably more expensive than some other quotes I had sought, but I decided to use them to keep things as simple and streamlined possible. There was ‘no chain’ and I was as keen for a quick transaction as the seller was. This is the kind of deal that could have been completed in a month at the most. Things seemed to be progressing slowly and by January I was getting concerned. I chased them on many occasions to no avail. Then I saw all the reviews online saying how they were mega slow. I enquired with the seller who said they seemed to be sending pages of questions to the sellers solicitors, none of which I had asked and none of the answers were ever provided to me. Ridiculous questions that had no bearing on whether I wanted to buy the house. It was a buy to let and I wanted it. I didn’t have any question. Yet, they pressed on with questions such as ‘has the property ever been burgled’. The questions were not sent all at once, each time they received answers, they sent more. The seller even contacted me to tell me his solicitor had said this is all very odd. Then came March 2016 came and I was conscious that new budget changes meant that if we didn’t complete by April 5th, (I think), we would have to pay an extra 3% of the purchase price on top, in tax. They kept sending ‘enquiries’. The outcome was that I paid over the odds, to use a solicitor who dragged the matter out until 2 days after the deadline and cost me an extra £2060 in tax. Then I read online (property forums) about people with committed and conscientious conveyancers who worked through the night to close deals before the deadline. I wouldn’t use Griffiths Ings again if they were the last property solicitors on the planet. Don’t take my word for it, read the other reviews online saying the same as mine.

sean browne - 22/05/2016 | report this review