I had a terrible experience with this law firm. I work with them on purchasing a property. I never have seen more ignorant, unprofessional and irresponsible service to customer. I am a university professor and have an extremely busy schedule. Working with Tarnowecky Law firm has been unnecessarily time consuming. Their legal assistant, who I worked with, was not knowledgeable and/or experienced. For a simple routine purchase paper work I have sent tens of emails and tens of phone calls.
First of all, they assigned a legal assistant for my case but kept changing the assistant. Only a week before the closing date, and only after I sent several emails and made several phone calls, they set an appointment time for signing the documents and sent me the statement of adjustments and fund summary for my purchase. I submitted the bank draft matching with the amount stated in the fund summary to the firm but, only two business days before the closing date, they sent me an email and informed me that they made mistake in the statement of adjustments and fund summary and I need to pay extra $4,300 before the closing date.
The next incident was when I made my final walkthrough the just a day before closing as it was scheduled, but found about 80% of promises in our agreement with the sellers not done. My real estate agent contacted the sellers’ agent and they said they will get it done before the closing. It was my first time purchase of any property in Canada so I contacted the lawyer and informed them and asked if I can be granted another walkthrough in the morning, before the closing. They sent me an email and confirmed that I was granted another walkthrough. The time was set so I went to the property and waited out of house in the street for a while before I was informed by my real estate agent that the sellers’ lawyer did not allow another walkthrough. I contacted my lawyer and found out that she was out of office so we waited for an hour in front of property and made few more phone call to finally be told that my legal assistant made mistake and I can not have another walkthrough. Total waste of time!
The, next incident was when I ask their office to send me binder including all the paperwork related to the sale which naturally I should receive within a week or two after the closing date but they did not provide it to me till a month after the closing date. After making few phone calls finally they told me they will leave the binder at front desk and I can pick it up anytime after a certain time and date. I went there a day after the provide date for picked up but the documents were not ready and I end up waiting for 45 min in the waiting room during pandemic when any unnecessary contact should be avoided.
Another incident was when the sellers’ lawyer sent an official request to Tarnowecky Law firm, so that the sellers can stop by in the property to seal the holes they made somewhere in the roof, I agreed with their request by replying the firm’s email but never heard back. There were several heavy rains and I could not locate the holes in the roof so I called Tarnowecky Law firm by phone but my first call was hanged up by the legal assistant without even a word. I called again and when finally she answered the phone, she was not even aware of my emails. I asked her to let the sellers’ lawyer know about permission and ask if the sellers can not make time to come for repair the roof at least let me know where the holes in the roof are so I can take care of those myself. She told me that she will but I never heard back from her. After many calls and talk with their management, their lawyer got back to me a few days later.
Overall, in such a short term interaction and for such a simple case, I had awful experience with Tarnowecky Law firm, they made too many mistakes, and their ignorance and lack of professionalism make the worst example of a law firm. I have and will let all my friends and real estate agents who I know in person, know about their service, do not refer the client to them and avoid working with them.