Solicitors made a mistake and now want us to pay extra?

liamjayjackson

real1314 wrote: »

That petrol purchase analogy's bunkum.

It's more like getting your car serviced/repaired.

The garage says the service is £100 + parts + labour

They tell you that you need new brake pads; oil+filter ; new exhaust and 2 new tyres.

The bill shows everything, but the tyres are listed as £0.00

You pay the bill.

The garage contacts you later to say - the tyres were not included in the bill, can you pay for them please?

Morally - you owe the money.
Legally - they could probably sue for it

Sensibly - complain and ask for a discount off their fees, say £20? for goodwill? :cool:

I totally get what you mean, but we never asked them for anything, we just basically said we want this house, they said give us £350 deposit and the rest on completion. We got sent a completion statement saying what we owed (including the deposit) and we paid it and signed. We asked if everything was ok, Barratt obviously were informed that we had completed so we could pick up the keys when clearly we were £200 short of completing!?

Is this how decent law firms who are meant to be skilled in the art of conveyancing work?? It just seems wrong. We could have understood within a couple of days if they rang etc....But a month!! And to add to the cheek of it they DEMAND>!!!

Thrugelmir

liamjayjackson wrote: »

we were £200 short of completing!?

The disbursement for the land registry fee wasn't required to complete the purchase.

Hence why it wasn't included on the statement.

However it is required to register the title. This isn't money for the solicitor. Just the filing fee.

With house purchase not usual to have final adjustments at the end.

If you are struggling for £200. Can you afford the property?

liamjayjackson

Thrugelmir wrote: »

If you are struggling for £200. Can you afford the property?

We wouldnt be struggling, but it would make a month maybe 2 harder because weve only been in a month and again were first time buyers WITH NOTHING as all savings have been used and wages go on things like bills and a bed and a mattress and a fridge etc etc which adds up! then you have all bills,

You only have to look at how much things cost and the fact were in a credit crunch to realise that £200 is not pocket change (well to you it may be, but to us its not)

And if the solicitor is struggling for the £200 then maybe they should have taken it from there fee that we paid them to do the job right in the first place! Not hit us with "oh we forgot you owe this" letters after we have meant to have completed!

Thrugelmir

liamjayjackson wrote: »

And if the solicitor is struggling for the £200 then maybe they should have taken it from there fee that we paid them to do the job right in the first place! Not hit us with "oh we forgot you owe this" letters after we have meant to have completed!

If you look at your original estimate of costs quoted for the purchase it will have been stated clearly on there.

Yorkie1

I understand that you're angry.

Best practice, the solicitor should have included it in the completion statement.

But whilst you can rant all you like, the fact remains that it has to be paid. Why should the solicitors pay for this legal filing fee which which is part of your purchase? Have you bothered to look back at your original quote? Bet it did include this registration fee so you were actually on notice that it would have to be paid.

You have been given lots of advice on how to deal with this constructively. I suggest you take the rest of the weekend to feel aggrieved, then calm down and try to deal with it in the constructive manner previously suggested - you are far more likely to get a decent result for you with least fuss.

shegar

Phone the solicitors Monday and ask them nicely if you can pay them £50 per month for the bill, im sure they will understand and help you.........These things happen in life , but I wouldnt let it get it down, sh@t happens.............Get over it and enjoy your new home .....

liamjayjackson

Ok, ive taken it in and as raged as i am, i suppose it has to be done.

However am i in my rights to complain to somebody and if so who?

Also, do i have any rights to pay weekly or monthly?

Could someone give any advise on a letter to write to them?

Thanks in advance

G_M

Your solicitor has paid out for this. It is one of the (many) necessary costs of buying a property and was almost certainly included in his original quote somewhere.

He has 'Completed' on the purchase for you (ie paid the seller and got you the keys, so the contract between you and the seller is 'Complete'.

However he has not completed all the work involved. There may be stamp duty to be paid (depending on the purchase price). Your solicitor pays the government this money, on your behapf, after 'Completion'.

Same with this.

Pay the money you owe. I'm afraid you'll find now that you're a property owner that all sorts of costs are associated with that status - some expected, some unexpected, some predictable and some unpredictable!

Yorkie1

liamjayjackson wrote: »

Ok, ive taken it in and as raged as i am, i suppose it has to be done.

However am i in my rights to complain to somebody and if so who?

Also, do i have any rights to pay weekly or monthly?

Could someone give any advise on a letter to write to them?

Thanks in advance

Read my earliest post in this thread, where I already gave you this advice.

lavandergirl_2

When you received a client care letter, it would state who and how to complain.

OP mentioned that the solicitors are "demanding" the payment within certain amount of days. How sure is the OP that the property is already registered. Maybe there is urgency because the property is not yet registered.

If it is a demand letter this means a different thing.