AWD Law: Conveyancers & Property Lawyers

Conveyancer Law firm misconduct

I am writing to formally raise a serious concern regarding the conduct and handling of our recent property transaction in Johannesburg, for which your firm was responsible. My husband and I recently purchased a property, and the conveyancer assigned to us was Ms. Anchané Kriek. Unfortunately, our experience with Ms. Kriek was highly unsatisfactory. Throughout the process, she displayed unprofessional and, at times, hostile behavior. I addressed these concerns with her on multiple occasions and can provide email correspondence as evidence of her conduct. Due to the severity of the situation, Mr. André Germishuizen eventually stepped in and took over the matter. Once he became involved, communication improved, and the transaction began to progress more smoothly. During the registration period, we vacated the property (which we were occupying under a lease that was about to expire) to allow time for the transfer to be completed. However, upon registration and handover of the keys, we discovered that the locks had been changed—under Ms. Kriek’s instruction—and the new locks were faulty. They were difficult to operate, and we encountered issues on the very first day. We returned the keys to Ms. Kriek and requested a functional replacement lock set. Despite numerous follow-ups, we have yet to receive the new keys. It has now been over a month, and we remain unable to access our property. We are particularly distressed, as our bond repayments are set to begin this month, and our temporary living arrangement ends on the last day of the month. To make matters worse, we have learned that Ms. Kriek is no longer with the firm. She has not responded to any of our emails or phone calls since her departure, and we are unable to gain access to the property due to remote-controlled gate access and the lack of functional keys. Given that all of this occurred while Ms. Kriek was acting on behalf of your firm, we urgently seek clarification on the following: Who is now responsible for resolving this matter? Is the firm liable for following up and ensuring the completion of outstanding issues? This situation has caused significant emotional and financial strain. We urgently request your assistance in resolving the matter without further delay. All relevant documentation and correspondence are available for review upon request. We appreciate your immediate attention to this issue and look forward to a prompt response.