By far the worst conveyancing experience of my career
I am an estate agent with several years of experience in the property industry, and I can confidently say that dealing with Jawad Mahmood and his team at HS Legal was, without question, the worst experience I have had with a conveyancing solicitor.
I genuinely struggle to identify a single positive aspect of the service I experienced throughout this transaction.
The communication was absolutely appalling.
Throughout the transaction, I attempted to contact Jawad by telephone on at least 30 occasions. Not once did I manage to speak with him directly.
Even more concerningly, the sellers, who were his own paying clients, were also unable to speak with him directly over the telephone.
I was provided with a number to contact him personally. After one WhatsApp response at the beginning of the transaction, my subsequent attempts to communicate through that channel went unanswered.
I appreciate that solicitors have demanding workloads, but there is a considerable difference between being busy and being consistently inaccessible throughout an entire transaction.
The handling of deadlines was particularly concerning.
The sellers were purchasing another property through the modern method of auction, meaning they were working towards strict contractual deadlines.
At one stage, HS Legal was communicating an incorrect deadline relating to their onward purchase.
The situation became so frustrating that I accompanied the sellers on a journey to HS Legal’s office in Colchester to seek clarification in person.
When we arrived, we were informed that Jawad was not available.
Following our visit, it was subsequently acknowledged that the deadline they had been working towards was incorrect.
What made this situation even more baffling was the apparent lack of urgency as the incorrect deadline approached. Even when the date they believed to be the deadline arrived, there appeared to be little urgency in resolving outstanding matters.
Given the potential financial consequences associated with missing an auction purchase deadline, I found this handling of the situation extremely concerning.
The lack of proactivity was equally frustrating.
During the transaction, an outstanding restriction on the property’s title needed resolving.
Although we were repeatedly informed that the matter was being addressed, I personally spent considerable time tracing relevant individuals, contacting third parties and chasing information to help progress the matter.
I genuinely felt that I was making more progress through my own investigations than I was receiving from the solicitors responsible for handling the transaction.
As an estate agent, I fully understand that sales progression is part of my responsibility. However, there is a significant difference between assisting with a transaction and feeling compelled to investigate legal obstacles independently because of the apparent lack of progress.
Perhaps most concerningly, the sellers themselves submitted a formal written complaint during the transaction.
Their complaint raised serious concerns regarding communication, unanswered requests for updates, delays, conflicting information and uncertainty surrounding proposed completion dates.
They also highlighted the potential financial consequences of further delays to their onward auction purchase.
HS Legal did respond to the complaint, and in my experience, this was one of the few occasions where there appeared to be a meaningful effort to address the concerns being raised.
However, the fact that their own clients felt compelled to submit a formal complaint during an active property transaction speaks volumes about the experience they were having.
Throughout the process, obtaining meaningful updates remained an ongoing struggle. I repeatedly found myself chasing information, trying to establish what had been done and attempting to understand why matters were not progressing.
The transaction eventually completed, but completion alone does not excuse the standard of service experienced along the way.
I have deliberately waited until after completion before leaving this review, allowing myself time to reflect on the experience in its entirety.
My opinion remains unchanged.
I cannot identify a single positive aspect of my experience dealing with Jawad Mahmood.
Having worked alongside numerous solicitors throughout my career, I appreciate that conveyancing transactions can be complicated and that delays are sometimes unavoidable.
However, communication, accountability, accurate information and a proactive approach to resolving problems should be basic expectations.
Unfortunately, my experience fell significantly short in every one of these areas.
I would not recommend Jawad Mahmood to anyone based on my experience, and I would be extremely reluctant to deal with him again in any professional capacity.
Without question, this was the most disappointing experience I have had dealing with a conveyancing solicitor.
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