Is it reasonable for a solicitor to ask for more money a year after completion?

London_Town

Basically, my thread title says it all. I completed on the purchase of my house in February 2011 and paid all necessary costs, as detailed by my solicitor, in full.

However, in late April of this year, I had a letter from them saying that on "closing" my account, they have discovered that I owe them £27:00 for a BACS payment. I was both perplexed and annoyed that they think it is good business to chase up missing funds over a year later.

I made a decision to hold out paying for as along as I can, as a matter of principle. I've now received another letter requesting the money.

Has anyone else ever had anything like this before? If I hold out, would they try and take me to court for £27:00?

I know the amount of money involved is modest, but it's the fact that they're asking over a year after the event that has made me so angry. It has extinguished my goodwill and any chance of repeat business in the future.

m0bov

Sounds like a scam, your contract with them is ended if you paid in full.

pinkshoes

Why not just look at your final itemised solicitors bill, and see if it included the BACS transfer? If it didn't, pay it, if it did, dispute it!

London_Town

Thanks m0bov, that's what I thought. I'll dig up my paperwork over the weekend and have a look through, but they would surely have questioned it at the time if there had been a problem.

It just feels a bit "David and Goliath" going up against a solicitor. They're meant to know what they're doing!

somethingcorporate

Hardly qualifies as a "scam" if it is genuinely from the solicitor you used and labeling it as such is a misunderstanding of what the word means.

I doubt they'd d anything over £27 but this does not mean it is not legitimate.

hazyjo

Get a few posts on here saying solicitors have asked for more money - usually days, weeks or a month or so after completion. Not over a year! The usual response is yes, you are responsible for the bill, pay it. Others say if they sent you a cheque for an overpayment, would you bin it saying you'd already settled your account? Yes, their fault for missing it, but people are only human. Mistakes are made.

Saying that, it's over a year after the event. I would at least try it on once saying that you thought you had settled your bill and were in no way trying to deceive them, you simply weren't aware you'd not been charged at the time. I would say you're extremely disappointed to find they're billing you for such a modest sum after such a lengthy period of time. Put them to as much trouble as you can so they might write it off. Ask for proof, copy of the final statement, copy of all bank transfer fees, etc...

Jx

London_Town

Thanks pinkshoes, I'll find my paperwork and have a look. I just feel it's wrong to ask over a year later. Marks and Spencer wouldn't ask me for additional funding for a jumper I bought last February, so why should a solicitor.

[Deleted User]

As with everything.., solicitors are human beings and there are some u'd go back to and some u'd cross the street to avoid. Just because someone has taken a degree and joined a professional club.., its no guarantee of proficiency unfortunately. U only have to read a few pages of this section of the forum to see that solicitors are no less fallible than anyone else. They shouldn't be.., but they are.

GDB2222

m0bov wrote: »

Sounds like a scam, your contract with them is ended if you paid in full.

That is just silly. Reserve the word scam for real scams.

To the OP: The solicitors could issue proceedings, and they would probably win if the money is outstanding. (It depends on whether they issued a 'final' bill.) They probably won't bother.

The moral issue is whether you owe them the money? There's no other 'principle' involved. So, don't try to justify your actions that way.

London_Town

hazyjo wrote: »

Saying that, it's over a year after the event. I would at least try it on once saying that you thought you had settled your bill and were in no way trying to deceive them, you simply weren't aware you'd not been charged at the time. I would say you're extremely disappointed to find they're billing you for such a modest sum after such a lengthy period of time. Put them to as much trouble as you can so they might write it off. Ask for proof, copy of the final statement, copy of all bank transfer fees, etc...

Jx

I think that's the strategy I had in mind Hazyjo. If I have to pay it, I want to make them wait and go to alot of trouble to get it. I also intend to write a suitably withering letter to accompany any cheque I send.

GDB2222

London_Town wrote: »

Thanks pinkshoes, I'll find my paperwork and have a look. I just feel it's wrong to ask over a year later. Marks and Spencer wouldn't ask me for additional funding for a jumper I bought last February, so why should a solicitor.

M&S wouldn't let you have the jumper until you'd paid in full. There's no comparison.