Additional fee after Buyer changing solicitor

brzone

Deleted for privacy reason

marksoton

brzone wrote: »

My contract with solicitor is time based but their bill only explains this way (Mr __ have supported clients and dealt with ___) but not explaining how the calculation was made.
And why do I need to pay extra for buyers side of change? And this is the very last bit of receiving money.

I have been holding the property for them for the last 4 months and I feel like I am already on loss. Can I reimburse additional cost to buyer?

You're on a time based contract, why should your solicitor do extra work for free?

You can ask your buyer but i doubt they'll say yes...

jaybeetoo

brzone wrote: »

Can I reimburse additional cost to buyer?

I don't think you meant what you wrote.

If your solicitor has had additional work because your buyer changed solicitor, then, unless you agreed a fixed price with your solicitor, you will have to pay it (assuming it is correct). You can ask your buyer to pay the extra cost but they are under no obligation to pay it.

brzone

Thanks for your response.
However what I get from solicitor does not seem to be fair enough with their lack of explanation. If that is time based - do I have to assume that I can be charged more without proof? The solicitors have not even been supporting that well to be aware of what was going on.

marksoton

brzone wrote: »

Thanks for your response.
However what I get from solicitor does not seem to be fair enough with their lack of explanation. If that is time based - do I have to assume that I can be charged more without proof? The solicitors have not even been supporting that well to be aware of what was going on.

Then ask for a breakdown.

But frankly your buyer messing around is not your solicitors problem.

princeofpounds

Yes there probably was extra work. Not loads necessarily, but there would have been a call to introduce themselves followed by letters of appointment, perhaps re-sending documentation, probably editing the addresses on a few documents. Could easily be 30m - 1hr, and that assumes there were no special circumstances.


Solicitors maintain time sheets, typically 15 min blocks, which show what they have been working on and when.


By all means ask them for an explanation, but they will probably take a few of these blocks, multiply them by an hourly rate and justify the figure... and you'll find it hard to press further unless it's clearly unreasonable.

Thrugelmir

princeofpounds wrote: »

Solicitors maintain time sheets, typically 15 min blocks, which show what they have been working on and when.

More likely 5 minutes. Soon adds up as their charge out rates cover all the overheads as well as an element of profit.

G_M

You have 2 issues:

1) the way the solicitor calclates his bill. as advised, you can ask for a breakdown of the time spent, and you'll probobly get it. Whether it helps you is another matter. It may just say
* 10.00 - 10.15 26/3/16 - 15 minutes
* etc

If you're lucky it may add "reviewing file" or "telephone call" etc.

beware that putting that breakdwn together for you may take time, and you may then be charged for that time!

this is why most people prefer a fixed fee for conveyancing.

2) the extra fee for the extra work. Clearly there is extra work, which takes time. And as you agreed a time-based fee, the solicitor will charge you.

You could, of course, tell the buyer that his decision to switch solicitors is costing you money, and hence the sale price is now increasd by whatever extra your solicitor is charging. He may agree. Or not. If you insist, and refuse to sell unles he agrees either
* you'll get the extra from the buyer or
* you'll lose the sale