Desperately need advice- sellors solicitors gone bust and probate void

southerngirl_2

josievg - I'm a FTB and I've also been told that it will cost me £50 for preparing and completing SDLT form despite being exempt.

josievg

njh82 and southerngirl - be thankful for small mercies being charged fifty quid for this SDLT1 form.

I'm being ripped off to the tune of £75.

G_M

sorry - I take it back. Yes, declaration to HMRC via SDLT form IS needed even if stamp duty not payable. My mistake.

You could always fill it in yourself of course.

loubel

The fees you were quoted are pretty standard.

But you said his fees are already £300 extra to that quote and rising. Has he given you a breakdown of the extra costs?

Richard_Webster

It is steep. Our actual solicitors fee was £300, not the £700 you're paying.

Buy a flat and pay a solicitor only £300 for doing it and you may well find you can't sell the flat because he hasn't checked anything!

neas

our solicitior quote came in at 1000 quid in the end.. 450 quid for legal fee and rest were vat and disbursements (no stamp duty payable) Used barnetts. with a littl echasing took 7 weeks to get dne.

Brallaqueen

my fee was £850 all in, east mids proeprty though and through a family recommended solicitor. Leasehold flat, ridiculously slow solicitor for the management co, took three months to go through.

njh82

Thanks for all your replies. It does seems costs vary . The reason ours has risen by £300 and could go up is because its not a fixed fee its an estimate based on their hourly rate and how long they thought it would take- they said it was very unlikely to exceed this. I guess its a lesson learned as an FTB that next time get a fixed rate!

So the update is that our solicitors have basically said to tell them that if they fail to exchange within two weeks they either pay our excess fees and rent or we cut our losses and pull out. This is based on being lied to- told that probate would be ready within two weeks in July, then again in writing saying they are just awaiting a form and would be done within 10 days- that was three weeks ago! Also my partner has had to cash in his investments to have the deposit ready and we are having to find somewhere else to live as we thought 12 weeks would be latest for a sale with no chains.

I know it sounds harsh but house prices have fallen considerably and to be honest they would be lucky to get what we offered again and we could find somewhere equally as nice for same price.

We don't want to pull out obviously but hope this may give them a real kick up the backside or at very least shed some light on what the hold up is!

jw2003

Hammyman wrote: »

It is steep. Our actual solicitors fee was £300, not the £700 you're paying.

I'm a bit of an admin nightmare, am having a good tidy up tomorrow so I'll find the estimate and pm you if i find it

john_white

I'd get a breakdown of the extra costs. If probate has been given yet presumably there's been very little work for your solicitor to do. I mean, why would they?