Unhelpful and anachronistic
I used CGM Solicitors for a house purchase and they compared unfavourably to an online conveyancer that I had previously used, in my opinion. Further, they did not draw my attention to a major problem with the house.
1. They needed a 'wet' signature i.e. I had to physically sign a set of printed documents. I don't have a printer so I had to go to their office to get and sign the documents. If I had had a printer I assume I would have had to post the signed documents to them, requiring stamps, stationery and a trip to a post box, or go to their offices in person. Online conveyancers don't generally require this - as far as I remember everything was signed electronically on their system. As far as I'm aware, electronic signatures have been legally valid since at least 2014. Wet signatures are a pain in the neck, entirely unnecessary and a sign of a conveyancer that has not embraced modern technology, in my opinion.
2. They didn't send ordinary emails but instead created traditional formal letters, converted them into pdf documents and then attached them to emails. This not only meant that I had to open the attachment to read the email but it also took up valuable storage space on my Gmail account as pdf files are much larger than a standard email as far as I'm aware. This is another sign of a conveyancer that has not embraced modern technology, in my opinion.
3. The most serious problem was that they did not draw my attention to a major problem with the house. The drainage and water enquiry report had a map at the end that showed that the extension was built over a public sewer, and a section at the start which said 'No' to the question 'Has any sewerage undertaker approved or been consulted about any plans to erect a building or extension on the property over or in the vicinity of a public sewer, disposal main or drain?'. It turned out, after some correspondance between me and the water company, that the water company did not have any record of the correct permission having been granted and they implied that the extension was likely illegal. I pulled out of the purchase as a result. However, it was lucky that I spotted this because CGM Solicitors didn't draw my attention to it. In fact, in the covering letter to the report, the conveyancer simply said 'I am unable to give you any advice upon the enclosure' and told me to contact the water company if I had any concerns. I doubt she had even bothered to check it at all for potential problems. Perhaps no conveyancer would have, I don't know, but everyone I've told about it, including two qualified solicitors, thinks that this is just the sort of thing that a conveyancer should be looking out for and warning one about. Even when I pointed out the issue to the conveyancer, they just said that they'd ask the vendor's conveyancer, and didn't give any opinion or advice on the matter themselves.
Note also that the conveyancer's fees were almost twice that of the online conveyancer. I chose them because they were recommended by the estate agent and I thought I might get a better service by paying more, but I regret my decision.
June 18, 2024
Unprompted review
