Saturday 17 April 2021

Another Year Older...........

..................... but not necessarily wiser and thankfully not deeper in debt as one old song says. 

Thank you to everyone who wished me Happy Birthday yesterday. I was trying to keep it a secret!

As I share my birthday with my youngest granddaughter....she's 3........ I'm ancient.......yesterday morning we met up for cake and present opening.

By the time my next birthday comes round I will have gained another grandchild as Eldest Daughter in Surrey is due to produce a little brother or sister for 5 year old Jacob in September. Something else to look forward to. That will be five Grandchildren under 6 years old - what fun! I can imagine chaos when they are all between 6 and 12 and visit all at once.

With all those birthday and Christmas presents I'm glad I'm now old enough for my State Pension! According to the website everyone should get a letter but I didn't and with all the moving and address changes it didn't seem to worth chasing up beforehand so that will be on the job list if ever I get moved.

Talking of which, at one point during the week - Monday-  I thought it was actually going to happen by the end of next week. Then on Tuesday I got a copy of the email from the sellers solicitor which said it would be at least 14 working days from this week - so not counting weekends that goes right into May! (7 days for the Equity Release company to stamp forms ? and 7 more days for money draw-down?). So guess what, I've booked another 2 weeks in limbo after the next week  here in the caravan.....I'm going back to the bungalow where I was before - luckily it wasn't booked. (By the way, the sellers solicitors are going to be reported to someone(ombudsman/governing body?) for failing to respond properly to phone calls and messages).
Wish I'd have known how long it was going to take when I first thought about selling before the buying date was agreed - never dreamed it would be 9 weeks - with even that not being a definite.

Would you believe sometimes I feel I'm slowly losing the will to live!

But making an effort to look on the bright side.........................................

This week I have been grateful for

  • Somewhere to live until May 10th
  • 2 swimming sessions - so good to get back in the pool.
  • Lovely birthday presents and cards from the family
  • Some fine weather even though it's been a tad chilly
Back Sometime
Sue

46 comments:

  1. Happy belated birthday. I feel your pain! Our purchaser's solicitor had pay our solicitor for work not done and which our solicitor had to sort out at 5pm on completion day! Still in rental and now our house purchase has fallen through because of major structural issues in the survey. So we are here for months. Chin up, you're nearly there. x

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    1. Oh my goodness, thats 10 times worse than my problems. Hope you find somewhere to move to soon

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  2. It is important that you sort out your Pension. Google Pension and go to the Gov website. It gives a number to ring. (My experience with them.was always good). You should have had the pension pack ages ago, it comes well in advance.

    Glad you had a good birthday. X

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    1. PS how are you collecting your mail from your old house? Do you drive over to collect it once a week?

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    2. First my post was redirected to the holiday let bungalow, now it's redirected to where I'm moving too and I'm picking it up.

      Definitely no pension pack.

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    3. From memory mine came in at least the February before my April birthday. You really do need to get on to DWP.

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    4. It will be assumed you have deferred your claim. However I would want to know why I didn't get the pack and where it went.

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  3. Belated happy birthday. I agree with Rachel, sort your Pension out. One less thing to worry about (forget!) once you are finally in your new home. Gosh, this is being done very poorly and I think they are just using the Equity Release as an excuse. They will still be happy to charge for all the "extra" work though!

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    1. One of the problems was the long delay in searches in Kent and Covid and the Equity Release company - making the perfect storm of delays

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  4. Belated birthday wishes, hope you get a completion date soon, ours looks to be second week of May..

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  5. Happy birthday for yesterday. Congrats also to the news of a new baby.
    I would contact pension people, with all your recent moves it might be lost in the post, the notification I mean. It will get paid into your bank account so they will need your details.
    I continue to be amazed and impressed at your calm approach to all this dillying and dallying re house move. Fingers crossed for you.

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    1. Pension will get sorted eventually - I don't think I will loss out.

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  6. Belated Happy Birthday wishes !
    What a time you are having, but it seems to be getting there, albeit very slowly.
    Congratulations on the forthcoming new grandchild. Something lovely coming your way.

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  7. Hi Sue, happy birthday for yesterday.We seem to have non stop birthdays, thats 6 this week!
    My brother is in the same difficulties as you, they have spent the last 3 weeks on a bed in their daughters house. The solicitor is not communicating.
    Sounds like your life as a grandma will be busy.
    Kathy xx

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  8. Happy belated birthday wishes. A new life in a bungalow, six grandchildren to watch grow up, count your blessings indeed.

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  9. A comedy of errors! There should be a similar programme in a solicitors office along the lines of Fawlty Towers. Your patience and tolerance are certainly being tested.

    Lovely news about another grandchild, Jacob will be pleased to have a playmate 'on tap', so to speak.

    You do need to sort your pension out as there could be dates you have to complete paperwork in, I could be wrong as it is a long time since I did mine and official paperwork seems to be changing all the time, (look at the changes with the solicitors etc).

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  10. Happy belated birthday greetings and so many congratulations on somehow keeping your cool Sue - I marvel atit - I would be a ervous wreck. Do hope all is soon resolved.

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  11. Not sure how pension works there
    Here Social security is available at 62 but not full amount until 65 or 66
    Depends on years worked also
    Although I worked most of my,life-18 /2 teaching at the end...mine is not enough to live on...thankful for some annuities...and when I retired teaching a small payoff... educate is expensive plus insurance supplements....don’t ask...my son purchased a condo for me this year and will help...

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  12. If this happened in Scotland the people causing the holdup would be liable for all your costs.

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  13. Happy belated birthday. As for the house move - b.r.e.a.t.h.e! As others have said, contact DWP. Can't hurt and it may help. xx

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  14. I send you all happy (belated) birthday greetings from across the pond. I'm spending much of the day watching the ceremonial funeral of Prince Philip, reminding me of lovely times in Windsor. It sounds like a right big mess on the house and I wish you could be compensated for the expenses of your temporary lodgings, which is most certainly not your fault. Yes, that solicitor should be reported. And I'd share about the whole situation, too.

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  15. Gosh it seems to be taking such a long time, we sold in Wales and bought in England used the same solicitor (who's company is based in Surrey) and managed to get everything done in well under two months. We exchanged and completed on Isfryn on the Wednesday and bought our new place on the Friday, with the money draw-downs being done in less than 24hours.

    Somebody somewhere is just messing about with this so yes it does need reporting. Our solicitor reported the solicitor of the people we bought off to the estate agent, as it was one they recommend to a lot of their sellers and buyers, as the work they did was so shoddy and their attitude to people both on the phone and on documents was terrible. We saw some of their snotty remarks on the forms that we had to check, they do seem to think they are above reproach.

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  16. Happy birthday, Sue! And congratulations on another grandchild coming soon! So sorry you're having so much trouble with being able to take possession of the home you're buying. It's got to be very frustrating, but you seem to be handling it well enough. Better than I would, I'm sure! Glad the solicitors are being reported. There really aren't valid excuses for it. I, too, think you should be compensated for the expense of temporary housing.

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  17. Happy Belated Birthday! You are doing a good job of keeping your spirits up and looking at the bright side of your life while you wait to move. Sounds frustrating! Hope it is settled SOON!

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  18. Oh Sue... So sorry about these delay s!!

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  19. Happy belated birthday. I do hope you get into your new home without more delay. Yes they do need reporting, its diabolical the way they have strung things out. I don't understand about equity release and wouldn't touch it eith a barge pole after what's happened to you. The buyers must feel so out of control.

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  20. I have much respect for you in how well you have dealt with this long process of moving. It seems so unfair for you to have to wait such a long time between homes. I hope things start moving quickly for you and you can put this all behind you. How exciting to have a new grandchild coming! Congratulations! Enjoy the boot sale tomorrow!

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  21. "This too shall pass." Congratulations on new grandchild to be. Our youngest daughter and son in law are trying now for #2.

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  22. Belated happy birthday wishes, Sue. You are one patient woman, I'd be tearing my hair out by now! Lovely news about the new baby though, a blessing indeed. Enjoy the boot sale tomorrow.

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  23. Wishing you a Happy Belated Birthday. Five grandchildren all under 6 will certainly keep you busy and entertained in the years to come :) Sorry to read about the house move troubles, it must be so frustrating for you. xx

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  24. "(By the way, the sellers solicitors are going to be reported to someone(ombudsman/governing body?) for failing to respond properly to phone calls and messages)."

    But... solicitors are not able to report each other (professional etiquette), and only someone who directly employs a solicitor can complain about them.

    AMHIK... an even worse experience than you're having!

    Good luck and hope it is all resolved very soon.

    - Kate

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  25. Congratulations on your grandchildren. They certainly must bring lots of joy to your life. I'm also glad the solicitor is being reported to a governing body. This process has been riddled with problems (incompetence?) and someone should be held accountable.

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  26. I so wish I had grandchildren, but haven't been gifted any as of yet. Both our sons seem to be in no hurry to marry.

    Hope the moving comes sooner rather than later.

    God bless.

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  27. You are doing so well to be keeping your blood pressure down under the circumstances Sue. Belated Happy Birthday to you, and the little one too. And congratulations on Number 6! You will be enjoying bedlam with their combined visits long before the youngest is 6! Our two - aged 6 and three can make enough noise for a full school assembly between them when they're excited ... 6 will be roof-lifting!! Another thing to give thanks for - when they leave afterwards!

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  28. *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!*

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  29. Normally speaking the Ombudsman is there to sort out serious complaints like neglect of duty by a solicitor in terms of ascertaining good title and significantly important issues in property transactions. Not sure how far one would get in claiming undue delay during a pandemic. Not very.

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  30. Sorry to have missed it, Happy belated birthday!

    It was our golden WA yesterday, strange day, can't share a celebration, WA and a 'national' funeral, you couldn't make it up.

    A friend made us a surprise celebration coffee and walnut cake, beautifully decorated and I was chuffed to bits, never had my name on a cake before! Could kick myself though, never thought to take a picture.

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  31. Hope you had an awesome birthday - and I do wish that solicitor would stop giving you guys the run around so that things could be finally settled. One day ... :) xx

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  32. I'm glad you had a good birthday. 🎂 🌷🍓 Hopefully your bungalow will be available to you soon. It will happen. Praying it works out for you instead spending money on more rentals. 🙏💜

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  33. Belated bday wishes. It's always interesting to see how families end up with shared special events. In our family our oldest son (also eldest grandchild in the family) shared a bday with Farmer's mom. DS1's twins have a bday that falls on or near Thanksgiving Day. DGD5's bday is on the anniversary of DFiL's death. DGD6's bday is near or on Memorial Day here in the States. My bday is 3 weeks after 4th of July and 2 weeks after my mom's. DSis-i-L's bday as well as my BF's (2 different dates, 3 days apart) fall on or near Mother's Day. DS2 fall on or near Father's Day. At least we can't forget these special days. :) (PS Prayers going up for a more speedy closing and moving into your new home. I cannot imagine the stress for you!)

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