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Conveyancing company want money, but I've already paid solicitor search fee
tomstickland
Posts: 19,538 Forumite
I'm a bit confused and hopefully I'll be able to sort this out on Monday.
I've paid my solicitor £250 to cover search fees. According to their letter
"Local Search, Water Search And Eniviromental Report fees - £250".
I've found the letter where they requested this and the cheque has cleared.
Meanwhile the convenyancing company have sent me a letter and an estimate.
"to avoid any delay I would also be grateful if you could let me have your cheque in the sum of £120 in respect of the Local Authority search fee or £199 if you would also like me to underttake the drainage and environmental searches".
Their estimate lists
Local search fee £120
Drainage search fee £40
Ennvironmental search fee £39
I'm a bit confused by this. I'll speak to both parties on Monday. At the moment I am assuming that my solicitor has subbed out the job. Is this likely? Or has one of the parties along the way confused things so I now have two companies about to do a search for me?
I've paid my solicitor £250 to cover search fees. According to their letter
"Local Search, Water Search And Eniviromental Report fees - £250".
I've found the letter where they requested this and the cheque has cleared.
Meanwhile the convenyancing company have sent me a letter and an estimate.
"to avoid any delay I would also be grateful if you could let me have your cheque in the sum of £120 in respect of the Local Authority search fee or £199 if you would also like me to underttake the drainage and environmental searches".
Their estimate lists
Local search fee £120
Drainage search fee £40
Ennvironmental search fee £39
I'm a bit confused by this. I'll speak to both parties on Monday. At the moment I am assuming that my solicitor has subbed out the job. Is this likely? Or has one of the parties along the way confused things so I now have two companies about to do a search for me?
Happy chappy
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Comments
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It looks to me as though you have two companies doing your conveyancing. Even if your solicitor has subbed it out to an agency, that agency would not be able to look to you for payment as their contract is with the solicitor and the solcitor alone.
Did you get more than one quote? Was one online and you have somehow instructed them to act without realising. Do you recognise the name of the conveyancing company.
You would not need a solicitor and a conveyancing company, they will be doing the same job.0 -
My solicitor did all my searches and my surveryor just did the house survey!
Give them a ring and tell them your solicitor has already been paid to do that search!
M0 -
No, I've never heard of them until today! I think there must be some mix up with L&C possibly instructing the conveyancing company to act on their behalf.Happy chappy0
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tomstickland wrote:No, I've never heard of them until today! I think there must be some mix up with L&C possibly instructing the conveyancing company to act on their behalf.
Not sure who L&C are, but I am going to guess they are the mortgage company.
If that is so, then I think you have got yourself into a two fee situation. Normally your lender will instruct the same solicitor as you and you will pay a nominal extra fee to the solicitor for doing the legal work for the mortgage as that is done at your expense. By sharing the same solicitor, only one set of searches needs to be done.
However, it looks to me as though your mortgage company are instructing someone different. Therefore, you are going to have to pay for another set of searches and probably in fact a second complete set of legal fees.
If you are wondering about the difference in the fees they quote and what you have paid your solicitor, this is likely to be because your solicitor has asked for a rounded off figure and not the exact amount whereas the conveyancing company is asking for the exact amount. The overpay to your solicitor will be credited against your final costs.
I am not sure whether you are going to be able to do anything about the double fees. It would appear your solicitor is not on L&C's panel.0 -
I was just about to ask what kind of messed up solicitor you have. Ours took 175 up front for the local search plus 80 because we are going through another company for a no sale, no fee deal and then they are billing for the rest on completion.It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache.0
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Wickedkitten wrote:I was just about to ask what kind of messed up solicitor you have. Ours took 175 up front for the local search plus 80 because we are going through another company for a no sale, no fee deal and then they are billing for the rest on completion.
I am not sure I understand this post. What are you saying, that the solicitor has made a mistake? It doesn't sound like it to me and the solicitors are not obliged to fund disbursements direct so are entitled to ask for sufficient up front to cover them. From what the OP has said, this has all he has been asked for with the rest to be billed on completion.0 -
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MORPH3US wrote:Doesn't he mean Lawyer & Conveyor (Conveyanceor?)?
M
Doh, you could be right.
Never heard of a solicitor outsourcing to a conveyancer though.0 -
Bossyboots wrote:I am not sure I understand this post. What are you saying, that the solicitor has made a mistake? It doesn't sound like it to me and the solicitors are not obliged to fund disbursements direct so are entitled to ask for sufficient up front to cover them. From what the OP has said, this has all he has been asked for with the rest to be billed on completion.
He's already paid the solicitor for a search, however it seems like the conveyancing company have their own search that they are wanting to do and are planning on billing him for the same thing twice.It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache.0 -
Bossyboots wrote:Doh, you could be right.
Never heard of a solicitor outsourcing to a conveyancer though.
L&C are a mortgage brokerIt's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache.0
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