CHAPS payment to solicitor while abroad?!

Slamdunk78

Any help on this is massively appreciated.

Our completion date on our house purchase is this coming Friday, so solicitor needs fees and deposit by CHAPS on Thursday latest. Only prob is we're out of the country until Saturday! It's quite a large amount we need to wire - six figures - and helpful friendly telephone banking man said we could only instruct the bank to do this by going in person to a branch. I explained we are in Croatia... He said we might be able to instruct the branch via fax but he wasn't sure, suggested we call them Monday morning... Anyone got any experience/advice for this type of situation?!

My sister is acting as power of attorney for us while we're away, might she be able to instruct bank on our behalf?!

Thanks in advance, gonna go grab a beer and watch the sunset over the Adriatic and try and relax...
D

G_M

Slamdunk78 wrote: »

My sister is acting as power of attorney for us while we're away, might she be able to instruct bank on our behalf?!


D

Why did you give her POA? Presumably so that..... she could act on your behalf!

She will need to register the POA with the bank and this might take a few days/week depending on the bank. Most banks have a dept that approves the POA so the branch has to send the POA and ID documentation to that dept.

Once it is registered with the bank she can do whatever you could do.

agrinnall

What bank is it? I'd be surprised if they cannot take instruction to make a CHAPS payment by telephone or internet banking, although the former might need to be backed up by a fax so that they have something in writing from you.

Surely the completion date and the need to transfer money hasn't come as a total surprise to you, why didn't you figure all this out before going to Croatia? If the answer is the POA given to your sister then just let her get on with doing it.

anselld

Depends entirely on which bank you are with.

jjlandlord

Usually solicitors want fees and deposit at exchange, not completion...
Or you could have sent the money in advance, knowing that you would be out of the country.

D_M_E

If you have access to a copier, try doing a handwriiten document, sign it and leave enough room to put your passport and driving licence on the bottom of the sheet of paper.


Now, place your documents on the photocopier and place the handwritten sheet over them, ensuring that the documents do not cover any of the writing on the sheet and do a photocopy.


As soon as possible, phone your bank and explain what you have done and ask if they will accept by fax this sheet as written instructions as it contains evidence of who you are and what you want doing, and back up this with an email or whatever they call it message sent through internet banking.


Don't forget to destroy the handwritten sheet after copying and also destroy the copy after faxing, preferably destroy both by burning.


If they will not accept this, then your only option is to cut short your stay, come back to the UK and go in person to your bank as it seems that the power of attorney has not been activated with the bank.

Slamdunk78

Thanks for the helpful replies, have checked bank website (RBS) and they need to have power of attorney's registered with them which can take up to 7 working days, which is too long. Will try and fax instructions on Monday morning. Looks like I picked the wrong week to go on holiday!

Jon_B_2

Why can't you just make loads of faster payments online? With Nationwide I could make as many as I liked as long as they did not exceed £10,000 individually.

D_M_E

Jon B - You can make as many Faster Payments as you like, BUT they must not exceed a grand total of £10,000 per day.


The OP said a six-figure sum, and for the minimum six-figure sum of £100,000 it would take 10 days to send this by Faster Payments.


The OP has it right - a bad time to go on holiday - should have transferred to funds before going.

Jon_B_2

D_M_E wrote: »

Jon B - You can make as many Faster Payments as you like, BUT they must not exceed a grand total of £10,000 per day.


The OP said a six-figure sum, and for the minimum six-figure sum of £100,000 it would take 10 days to send this by Faster Payments.


The OP has it right - a bad time to go on holiday - should have transferred to funds before going.

Really? I transferred £14,000 in one day through two transfers via faster payments only a couple of months ago.

Pixie5740

If you can't send a CHAPS payment using your online banking could you send the money through Western Union instead?

Edit: I've just seen that there's a maximum limit of £4,000 doing it online although you might be able to do more in a branch.