Grindeys - Stoke-on-Trent

J W.

They work too closely with developers and repeat the same misleading claims about the maintenance of public spaces.
Buyers are pushed towards the developer’s preferred solicitor with promises of quicker reservations and guaranteed plots.
First-time buyers often do not realise what they are signing up for.

The fees seem reasonable at first, but buyers are misled and mis-sold. Solicitors are paid to protect the buyer’s interests but appear to prioritise the developer instead.
When the TP1 wording is questioned, they claim it is standard and that the council will adopt the land, based only on what the developer says.

Years later, the land remains privately managed, the charges continue, and homeowners have no control. There is no cap, no regulation, and no clear explanation of the long-term financial burden at the point of sale.

These estates are not gated communities.
They are open developments with public roads and spaces. Many include affordable homes or schemes to attract first-time buyers.
That excitement around home ownership is used to draw people in, only to be exploited.

Marketing presents a lifestyle dream with manicured green space and community charm.
The reality is long-term financial obligations hidden behind legal wording few buyers understand until it is too late.

Homes are sold as freehold but come with leasehold-style charges that are permanent.
Owners are tied into rent-like payments for land they do not control.
These charges often cover public areas used by all, yet the council refuses to adopt them and the developer retains control to create an ongoing income stream.

Residents already pay full council tax.
That should cover local services, as it does elsewhere.
They also contribute to infrastructure through the property purchase price and Section 106 agreements.
Yet they are still billed again through private estate fees, much of which goes to administration to a profit making equity firm.

This is made possible by a loophole in Section 2(3)(c) of the Rentcharges Act 1977.
It was never intended for large modern housing estates.
It has not yet been challenged in court, but one day it will be.
Those who enabled it should be held accountable.

Shame on all governments and councils for allowing this to happen.
It undermines trust in home ownership and leaves residents paying to maintain land they were told would be adopted.

Apollo S.

Hands down the worst solicitor I’ve ever used. They were recently involved in a house sale of mine. No contact, unreachable. When they contact you they ask questions that are irrelevant to the house sale. They may be slightly cheaper than others but they are not worth the saving. Pay a little extra and get someone competent. Romaan Aziz Was particularly awful and very slow.

May

I used them for a purchase that fell through. I found that they were trying to make me get for instance insurance for the smallest issue so they could charge a huge fee. It was a complicated situation an I had to send a few emails and make phone calls as we had to send some documents urgently. I was made feel like a proper nuisance by my solicitor Charlotte L, she was rude and abrupt and did not give me any reassurance. After that I felt uncomfortable every time I needed to call. I had an apology only when I said I was going to make a formal complaint. Also, when I needed them to explain certain procedures, (including fees they were charging) they were impatient and rude. Just copy pasting the same email I struggled to understand (Sorry I did not study law) Not really nice when you are paying a lot of money for them to represent you. The solicitors I have now are brilliant, very sympathetic, kind and at the end of the purchase so far I was not asked to pay any more unexpected fees like I was with Grindeys. I am writing this review because now I am able to compare their service with other solicitors. The only good point is that they were responsive but I would not recommend Grindeys, at least the solicitor they assigned to my purchase. Thank you

Holly

Just brought and sold a house with Grindeys solicitors. Unless you were ringing several times a week like I was then you will get no information. Once you would ring them, they would say it’s easier to email them, they will respond quicker (not true) they would chase things. We have emails and phone calls from 7 different people that we’re dealing with our file. It was getting shipped off left, right and centre. Our file was then taken over by someone else who informed us we had outstanding documents. When the woman before would say nothing was outstanding they had everything. Which delayed out completion date even further. I wouldn’t recommend using them. But if you do be prepared to ring several times a week to get some answers or updates.

Tom W.

We recently used Grindeys to help us purchase out first home. We found them to be very efficient, even chasing us to ensure paperwork was completed in good time. Later on there were a number of issues further up the chain, but it was extremely reassuring to us that Carole and her team could be relied upon to keep us informed and up to date with the latest developments.

Mary S.

Grindeys have recently dealt with two transactions for us and were superb with both. As a lawyer myself, I am acutely aware of the importance of good client care and what this should look like. My husband, who works in the mortgages sector, was equally impressed. This is the second time we've used Grindeys (previously c.15 years ago) and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. We've already recommended to others and will continue to do so. Well done Grindeys and In particular, Charlotte Lyle and her team - outstanding work!

Jo P.

We have just recently moved into our second home and Grindeys dealt with our sale and purchase. We used Grindeys when we bought our first home too and knew we would happily use them again. Our purchase was a slightly complicated one this time, Charlotte and Laura worked through it for us and got us the results we wanted. Excellent service. We will definately be sticking with Grindeys if we need solicitors again.

James G.

We used grindeys to buy a property. They were excellent and helpful all the way throughout. Never had to chase them once and everything was perfectly in place for completion date. Even after we completed they sent us documents without us having to chase.