Land registry fee?

debsy42

We completed on our house in early December last year, we received the completion statement about a week beforehand and paid all monies due in full.

Today we have received an email from the solicitor to say there is a shortfall of £135 as "the land registry fee increased from your original completion statement." We paid £135 for the fee as per completion statement.

I've had a quick look on the land registry website to try and double-check the figure they have quoted and also when this increase happened but I'm struggling slightly to understand the terminology on the website.

If the monies are due then we shall pay but I'm annoyed it's taken them 9 months to spot this and their email today which basically said we've made a mistake, pay up without any supporting documentation.

So, do any knowledge people who can decipher the land registry website know what the actual figure should have been, many thanks in advance

DandelionPatrol

debsy42 wrote: »

We completed on our house in early December last year, we received the completion statement about a week beforehand and paid all monies due in full.

Today we have received an email from the solicitor to say there is a shortfall of £135 as "the land registry fee increased from your original completion statement." We paid £135 for the fee as per completion statement.

I've had a quick look on the land registry website to try and double-check the figure they have quoted and also when this increase happened but I'm struggling slightly to understand the terminology on the website.

If the monies are due then we shall pay but I'm annoyed it's taken them 9 months to spot this and their email today which basically said we've made a mistake, pay up without any supporting documentation.

So, do any knowledge people who can decipher the land registry website know what the actual figure should have been, many thanks in advance

Why not make the solicitor work for their money and ask them to substantiate this particular disbursement? Pointless all of us running about answering something which your incompetent solicitor should be able to give you a link for quite easily.

G_M

Depends which LR fee. However I suspect it is the "Transfer of whole for value".

Since the fee varies according to the purchase price, check yourself here:

http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/fees-calculator.html

Moonface

Some Land Registry fees vary depending on whether the solicitor you use submits their applications electronically or by post. Electronic applications are half the price of paper applications on the more straightforward house sales. Maybe the mess up in your fees was down to this? Land Registry fees have not gone up since December so not sure why your solicitors are claiming the fees have increased unless the LR fees were based on a previous fee order when your final bill was prepared?
In general the LR fees are assessed on the value of the house so depending on which band your value falls in is the fee you would pay so if your house is between the value of £200,001 - £500,000 you would pay £135 if lodged electronically or £270 if lodged by post.

JJG

Looks like the solicitor charged for electronic and then sent by post.

debsy42

Thanks for the help, I did look on the land registry and thought it was the "Transfer of whole of value" but I wasn't quite sure that was the correct option. I've found the original paperwork following the sale and the land registry documents which state it's an electronic copy so I'm sort of presuming the solicitors lodged everything electronically.

Our statement was prepared one week before the completion and I can't see that the fees have increased in that timescale. I'll be contacting our solicitors tomorrow to try and get to the bottom of their claim. Thanks again to everyone.

debsy42

JJG wrote: »

Looks like the solicitor charged for electronic and then sent by post.

Blimey, hope not, not sure why we should be landed with an extra £135 for their choice of payment :eek:

libf

How do you determine if a first registration is voluntary or not?

agrinnall

debsy42 wrote: »

Blimey, hope not, not sure why we should be landed with an extra £135 for their choice of payment :eek:

I wouldn't expect them to choose unless there are particular circumstances with your property and it's registration, if the solicitor is registered to file electronically then that's what they should do, if they aren't then they have to file by post.

Moonface

Usually when there's no sale so for example if Mr & Mrs Bloggs have lived at a house for decades (before compulsory registration) then they might decide to volutarily get their property registered. Whereas if Mr & Mrs Bloggs sell their house then it would legally have to be registered at Land Registry when it is sold.

debsy42

agrinnall wrote: »

I wouldn't expect them to choose unless there are particular circumstances with your property and it's registration, if the solicitor is registered to file electronically then that's what they should do, if they aren't then they have to file by post.

The copy of the documents we have received for the Land Registry were definitely sent electronically, I don't think there was anything different/special about our property.