Where to start with this firm. I agreed a sale on my first property in early March 2021 and knew that with the stamp duty deadline looming things might be quite slow moving, but was not prepared for just how slow with Ison Harrison.
Charles Knapman was responsible for ‘handling’ the purchase of my first home. He ignored almost all of my emails and it was only after multiple follow up calls/emails did I get a response from him. When I managed to speak to him, he was dismissive and rude, blaming the delays on an innumerate number of things. I sent over a few questions regarding the property - all of which went unanswered.
Because trying to engage with Ison Harrison was such an unpleasant experience, in the end I gave up and turned to liaising with the estate agent instead - which proved much more fruitful.
After appointing Ison Harrison in early March 2021, THREE MONTHS LATER, in June 2021 and I still hadn’t even received the paperwork from them (despite my best efforts).
I asked for some reassurance that they would cover the stamp duty if the deadline were missed, which they agreed to share with me in writing.
On Friday 28 May the vendor’s solicitor notified Ison Harrison that the vendor was seriously ill and the transaction would need to happen quickly if it was going to happen at all.
My solicitor didn’t inform me of this until a whole week later, on Friday 4 June. That same day, I FINALLY received the paperwork from Ison Harrison. In a rush to get everything exchanged, I signed all the paperwork, drove it to their office and agreed to transfer the funds across as soon as I could. I got to the bank across the road from their office just before 4pm and they said it was too late to move the funds at this time. Unfortunately the vendor died over the weekend. In an email to the vendor’s solicitor, Ison Harrison then went on to blame me for the delay, stating that I hadn’t transferred the funds in time.
I only know all of this because I asked Ison Harrison to send me a record of all the correspondence between them and the vendor’s solicitor.
Now in March 2022, exactly a year after agreeing a price with the vendor and multiple back and forth with Ison Harrison, the firm is now refusing to acknowledge their previous commitment to pay the stamp duty if the deadline was missed.
Ison Harrison has ruined the experience of buying my first home due to their chronic failings and their abysmal attitude.
After recent calls with them to try and resolve this issue, I’ve been advised to take my complaint to the ombudsman, which I will do.
Please avoid this firm at all cost!
