big problems HELP

[GCN]

dont know if i am on the right site but problem is my son completed on a house on friday and got the keys today he was i nformed by vendors estate agent that the bailiffs have been to his house chasing ex owner and changed the locks we dont know yet if anything has been taken as nobody can get in sons solicitor cannot be contacted because it is the end of the day help what do we do ?

[Lindylou]

The house belongs to your son. Ex owners have nothing to do with you. As the property belongs to you (or your son) you could break a window to gain access. And then bill the people who, illegally, changed the locks. How did they gain access? The bailiffs' problems are with the previous owners, not with yourselves. Why didn't your solicitors know about the previous problems? Any charge on the property should have been discharged when the sale (to you) was completed. Get access to YOUR property, chase YOUR solicitors for explanation and, possibly, compensation - if they've not done their job properly. The bailiffs have no reason to harass you. Have they been notified of the sale of the property? I suspect that the bailiffs are 'private' and not Court bailiffs. If anything from the property has been removed SINCE completion then this is totally illegal and you need to refer to your own Solicitors. Although, judging from your original post, they don't appear to know what, exactly, they are doing. Good Luck!

[GCN]

lindylou
bailiffs gained access by drilling the wood round the lock and changing the lock son has tried to contact his solicitor with no success today although only informed of the situation himelf at 5pm they have even put a repossession notice in the window ---how embarrassing is that?

[Buenchico]

Before you start to panic too much, I'll suggest that it might be due to nothing more than an administrative error by the previous owner's lender. I received a repossession notice for my house several months after I'd paid the lender over �30,000 to pay off the mortgage. (They'd manage to lose my payment in their system!).

The previous lender might have settled his mortgage debt. The 'administration' department of the bank might then have correctly notified the Land Registry that there was no mortgage on the property, while the 'accounting' department might have 'lost' his payment, resulting in repossession proceedings. That would explain why your son's solicitor didn't find any problems, while the lender has called in the bailiffs. (That scenario might sound unlikely but, as stated, I know only too well that lenders can simply lose payments).

As Lindylou states, you could always break in but nothing's going to change between now and tomorrow morning, so it might be simplest to wait until you can speak to your son's solicitor.

Chris

[shomer42]

As Lindylou says, the house belongs to your son. Remain calm. If it is their mistake they will have to correct it. I have seen this happen before.