The Conveyancer you should avoid IF buying & settling property in VIC

L[Deactivated] on 16/06/2014 - 13:04

Hi Folks,

Thought of sharing with you all about my nightmare I've been through with this J**'s Conveyancing. Being reading a lot of advices and experience in the past shared by the OB folks and would hope I could contribute my part and hopefully it could benefit some when they looking for a reliable conveyancer next time and to avoid the hassles.

Appointed this "franchised" conveyancer for my VIC property settlement. To my surprised, couple of stupid mistakes made along the way which I thought just give her another go (without bias) but below are those lists of mistakes for you to judge:

  • got the property address incorrectly recorded (though an email has been sent earlier)
  • got the owner name incorrectly recorded (though an email has been sent earlier)
  • got my mailing address wrong (my local postie corrected that, whilst an email has been sent earlier)
  • sent her to negotiate with opposite party for the faulty equipments repair costs but she asked for direction from the opposite party.. OMG who's she working for?? - By the way, this was towards the last phase of the property settlement so too late to pull out (during final inspection, and property is about to be settled soon).
  • there're more in the lists but let me bring you to the final point/ most exciting moment..

During the last VIC long weekend where the property is about to be settled on the following next Tuesday arvo, she sent me the final payout figures…at last couple of minutes to 5pm AEST Friday to the start of long weekend (though numerous phone calls and emails follow up for those figures). Found couple of mistakes and also, I have to pay vendor a lump sum of more than $9k for her owing to different entities - why, asked the questions but you get not even an echo.. not contactable even though we have agreed to have a quick call over Saturday but she never pick up the phone at all and not even a courtesy notification for her absent.

Finally, founded her franchisor manager (Tuesday morning hours to the settlement) to get all the mistakes rectified before loosing myself thousands and felt horrified. Now I'm still going thru those figures and the aftermath hoping that I'm not been short change (IF there's any which I have yet to discover)…

Home & Garden

Comments

  • 2jzzzz on 16/06/2014 - 14:18

    I've got two shockers I could add from my experience, but no sure if I am allowed to name. There are reviews on true local.

    I'm never going to use a conveyancer again, always a solicitor. It's like choosing Dr Nick instead of a properly trained medical doctor.

    http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/direct-mobile-conveyanc…

    and

    http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/sargeants/melbourne

    • Geewhizz on 18/06/2014 - 06:05

      So if your experience with them was bad, why have you not left a review on the site to which you linked, to warn others?

  • orourke on 16/06/2014 - 14:20

    Okay, I'm not familiar with victorian conveyancing process but…

    1) The late figures to you could be because of numerous things - for instance - the banks are notorious for not being ready quickly, this could affect both the Vendor giving cheque directions to your conveyancer, only on friday afternoon, or your bank not being ready to book in until late and therefore not being able to be given an accurate figure for the funds available from your mortgage.

    2) The amount your paying to the Vendor owing to different entities - Look at the settlement figures (or statement or calculation or whatever they have decided to call it) - You are most likely paying your proportion of council rates, water rates, strata levies (if applicable) for the current billing period to the vendor BUT the vendor is likely paying (out of the proceeds of the sale) a cheque to those bodies for significantly more than what you are paying the Vendor. ie. Your contribution for the current council rates may be $150 but the Vendor might owe $600 for this quarter and be in arrears of several thousand. At settlement, the vendor will be paying for the full amount due to the council, water, strata etc as those debts would otherwise pass to you!

    Further, the Vendor can also tell you what cheques he wants at settlement. It's not necessarily that you're paying him $1,000,000.00 being the amount owing for the purchase. He could say, he wants $250,000.00 to pay his bank, $3,000.00 to pay for their solicitors. $100,000.00 to Joe Bloggs etc. Just because your drawing a cheque, doesn't mean you are paying for it. You owe the Vendor the amount calculated in the settlement statement/figures and the vendor can direct that payment however he would like.

  • one man clan on 16/06/2014 - 15:33

    I think the lesson here for others is to go to a solicitor rather than a conveyancer. They are held to a higher standard. It cost me $1500 on my property transfer and was worth every cent. Although I am a solicitor so my opinion may be rose coloured.

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