New Homes Helpline, NOT (Surveyors/Legal Services in general)

Member Name: rossy

Product:	Surveyors/Legal Services in general
Date:	18/07/01 (302 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: one place of call, cheap

Disadvantages: can't count, bully

Moving house can be stressful enough thus it is a good idea to get a decent Solicitor on your side to do the conveyancing. When I bought my new house I got I special deal on the conveyancing with "New Homes Legal Helpline" with the builders. The sale of my old place and buying the new place all went through very smoothly and I was very happy with the service I received especially after the I had moved in and received a cheque from my Solicitor for £5,000. "Great some money left over, that's a nice surprise", I thought. So I did what any self respecting person would do who had just moved into a new house and had to buy the extras and furniture, yes I spent the lot. Just over a month later a received a phone call and a letter demanding the money back as they had made an accounting error. They had forgotten to add on the cost of the deposit of the new house which they paid for out of bridge account and in fact I should have owed them £40 at the end of the sale. Well I explained the money was gone and after receiving some free legal advice (www.lawsolutions.co.uk I have written an opinion on this web site in DooYoo) I agreed to pay them the money back over a series of instalments, £1000 then £50 per month. I sent the letter off and did not hear anything until 4 months later, the same time the last house in the estate had been sold and thus no more new customers for them. The letter I received 4 months later had a extremely bullying tone and demand a £1000 a month and an agreement in 7 working days or they would instruct their solicitors. As you can image I was taken back at their attitude after it had taken them 4 months to reply. Anyhow the legal advice I received suggested I should be able to get compensation and decide within reason the amounts of repayments. I raised it up to £150 a month and after a few letters back and forth they finally agreed, but their letters where very threatening and meant to scare me with the fear of going to court.


I found their whole tone to be one of bullying and pressurising. At the end of the day they made the mistake and thus should be prepared to suffer at bit for their mistake. Their first suggestion was that I put the £5,000 on to my mortgage and thus have to be an extra £5000 over 25 years, no way. When they got back to me after the 4 months they kept saying this had to be sorted as quickly as possible as their account was done £5,000. Then why 4 months to reply to my first letter? Because of the possible bad publicity from the other new houses near me whom would also have been offered this special deal.

I understand it was a mistake, but you don't expect a solicitor to give away £5,000 of their own money do you? I am now a little concerned that if they cannot add up properly how many other mistakes have happen that have yet come to light.

Only after this problem with the money, I discovered they where also very late in forwarding on vital documents to me as well.

Summary: