This review is for a different branch.
In short (details of our case below), our conveyancer assigned by Taylor Rose failed to complete the AML checks in time and failed to raise all the relevant enquiries needed in time, causing two failed exchange dates and resulting in the seller pulling out at great cost to us. They have also failed to return our deposit, and communication has been slow and painful throughout without any justifications for why these delays and oversights occurred. We will be submitting a formal complaint via the complaints procedure shortly.
We had chosen Taylor Rose because we believed they were a reputable regional firm. However, in practice, the work is outsourced to 'consultant' conveyancers who are not necessarily direct employees of the firm. There is significantly more security in instructing a firm of solicitors that does not use this consultant model, such as Gateley, where the level of accountability and care is higher. Our friends have had much better experiences with other firms. I regret wholeheartedly choosing Taylor Rose. The response from the conveyancer assigned to our case, and their management, has been deeply unsatisfactory. To quote our estate agent, Taylor Rose’s handling of this conveyance has been one of the worst they have seen in their career.
Summary of our timeline:
We instructed Taylor Rose in October 2024 and were assigned a conveyancer to handle our matter. In November 2024, we provided the requested proof of funds documents. We informed the conveyancer that our tenancy would end in June and that we would ideally like to complete by then, but that if this was likely to put the seller off the sale, we were happy to complete sooner in alignment with their wishes.
By March 2024, the seller began chasing (via the estate agent) to ask how things were progressing. We had also had very limited communication from our conveyancer, but trusted that searches and enquiries were progressing. An exchange date was agreed for early April.
In the few days leading up to exchange, we still had not received the Reports on Title, Lease Title, or any legal advice. As the exchange date approached, we became increasingly concerned about whether the deadline would be met. The seller was growing frustrated and threatening to pull out if we did not exchange on the scheduled date.
Reports were finally provided just two days before the scheduled exchange date. These documents were full of errors (e.g., stating service charges would be £41,000 instead of £4,100, and unfinished sections such as "please insert text"). The quality of the work was extremely careless. Throughout this time, communications were extremely poor despite our repeated chases. We did not feel adequately advised and asked for corrections and proper explanations.
In all the chaos, the seller agreed to extend the exchange date by a week but warned that if there were further delays, they would withdraw. The day before the extended exchange date, our conveyancer requested further AML/proof of funds documents — documents we had initially provided in November. Despite providing what we could at short notice, we queried why this had not been dealt with earlier.
On the day of the second scheduled exchange, Taylor Rose was uncontactable for much of the day. In the afternoon, we were informed that exchange had been cancelled due to outstanding enquiries. This cancellation occurred without our instructions, and no clear explanation was provided for why these enquiries had not been raised earlier.
As a result, the seller withdrew from the sale. We lost significant sums in wasted fees and external costs and are now urgently seeking new accommodation under much worse terms, as our housemates have made new arrangements based on our intended move.
The stress and disruption caused by Taylor Rose’s mishandling of this matter have been immense. To make matters worse, the deposit we sent to Taylor Rose's client account in anticipation of exchange has still not been returned. Despite repeated emails, we have received no responses regarding the return of these funds. This lack of professionalism is highly concerning.
