Ark Property Solicitors

Littlemadam83

Does this mean all their customers could be facing more charges?

Nightmare xxx

Littlemadam83

Argh, I too got a letter this morning saying they are looking into my transaction. There must be thousands of people getting these.

We were first time buyers with a property worth of £85,000 so we wont get hit with a Stamp Duty charge will we?

I cannot believe what that company have done. Am actually glad the cowboys have been shut down x

movingon

I received this letter too and now I am terrified. Looking on the web it seems HMRC can charge interest on SDLT payments not made and penalties up to 100% of the original charge. Also, this can trigger investigation into the purchaser's previous tax affairs and for the future as well.
I have looked into my original paperwork, and it is full of disclaimers from Arc about referring me to a tax consultant (ie another branch of their own firm) for advice about SDLT.
I should have known better, I admit, but I just wanted to get on with the house move and trusted them to just get on with the paperwork and legals.

Littlemadam83

movingon wrote: »

I received this letter too and now I am terrified. Looking on the web it seems HMRC can charge interest on SDLT payments not made and penalties up to 100% of the original charge. Also, this can trigger investigation into the purchaser's previous tax affairs and for the future as well.
I have looked into my original paperwork, and it is full of disclaimers from Arc about referring me to a tax consultant (ie another branch of their own firm) for advice about SDLT.
I should have known better, I admit, but I just wanted to get on with the house move and trusted them to just get on with the paperwork and legals.

Was your house over the £125,000 threshold? I've just read into it. Did you pay anything to HMRC for land tax just after you completed?

What a nightmare xxx

movingon

Yes, the house cost more than the threshold. I have a bill that says I paid the tax, but I have also found some other paperwork about tax savings, which I do not understand, and fear that this is where the problem lies. Also, it is my understanding that Arc/Abode was supposed to pay clients' monies to HMRC etc, but did not do so.

Ap_hazard_42

Delt with this firm in 2008, then found later down the line that they had not done the job correctly. Difficult to contact, rude when we did get to speak to someone.

Today we received a letter from the government telling us the stamp duty in connection with this firm is under investigation and they have been closed down.

Has anyone else had this letter or similar pls?

Thanks in advance

Assistant

I have called HMRC, whom explained it is not them who are dealing with Arc, it is a solicitors. I have paid my Stamp duty and I have a receipt from Arc stating this. Surely I cannot be charged twice. The company should be charged?

Assistant

Ap_hazard_42 wrote: »

Delt with this firm in 2008, then found later down the line that they had not done the job correctly. Difficult to contact, rude when we did get to speak to someone.

Today we received a letter from the government telling us the stamp duty in connection with this firm is under investigation and they have been closed down.

Has anyone else had this letter or similar pls?

Thanks in advance

Hi I too received this letter. I have looked into this via the web. The company were in trouble on November 2012.

I am so worried about this, surely we cannot be liable for something we have already paid. Mine in Sept 2011

Assistant

On the SRA website, there is also reference to a prosecution of Abode Solicitors, dated October 1 last year and published on August 27 this year. It refers to a decision to take the firm to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Allegations include failure to act in the best interests of lender and purchaser clients and allowing its client bank account to be used as a banking facility.

d_dickinson

I've just found this link that may be of interest to this group, as I've just joined it won't let me post a link, but if you paste this into your browser, it'll go to the correct site. It may answer some of the more recent questions on letters from HMRC.

old.estateagenttoday.co.uk/news_features/Big-conveyancing-firm-is-shut-down-by-legal-regulator