dodge solicitor - is fee reasonable ?

budget_counsellor_shaz

lotto-dreamer wrote: »

These are usually standard fees charged by local authority, Land Registry etc - and solicitors don't (usually) make a profit from these at all.

Sorry you are wrong solicitors do make a profit from searches these cost a few pounds each! We have bought twice currently completing are third purchase and sold twice.

We have not had any problems, we've had 1 solicitor that was difficult and kept accusing us of seeking legal advice from someone:eek: which we weren't.

We wouldn't complete our own conveyancing if a house that had all sorts of conditions or covenants attached to the property. But so far they have all been standard normal houses.

The reason I started to do my own conveyancing was because I got so frustrated with the solicitors that I was paying. Now we are in total control we know whats going on. In fact we remind the solicitor what we are waiting for from them to try to speed up the process. We are always waiting for the other side:rolleyes:

Saving money is a bonus:T

Shaz

Redbedhead

budget_counsellor_shaz wrote: »

The searches don't cost much either. We save ourselves an absolute fortune.
Shaz

I understood that as standard the searches are disbursed on the bill, i.e. there is no mark up. This is definitely what has happened to me as I have seen the searches plus the charge for the searches and it matches to the draft completion statement from the solicitor.

budget_counsellor_shaz

Redbedhead wrote: »

I understood that as standard the searches are disbursed on the bill, i.e. there is no mark up. This is definitely what has happened to me as I have seen the searches plus the charge for the searches and it matches to the draft completion statement from the solicitor.

Why not ring up your local council and ask them? I think you will be surprised:rolleyes:

Shaz

Richard_Webster

solicitors do make a profit from searches these cost a few pounds each!

Perhaps the poster would like to give some examples of searches that cost a "few pounds each." The only ones in that category are the last minute Land Registry and Bankruptcy Searches. Perhaps he is thinking of the statutory fee for the search of the formal registers held by the Council - but in common parlance the "search" also includes obtaining answers to a standard set of enquiries and that's what generally increases the cost.

Local Searches done through the local authorities themselves vary between about £70 and £280. Search agencies provide equivalent information for about £100. Drainage searches cost £40-£50 and Environmental Searches £30-£45. I normally do a pack using a search company that gives Local Search, Environmental Search, Plan Search Plus, Water/Drainage search and Chancel Check for £210.65. Not all solicitors will do all these searches and they are not all vital. I tend to take the view that it is better to have more information than less, but if client really wants to save money then we can agree not to do some of them.

We make nothing out of them - oops, sorry - the local rep for the search company brings my staff a tin of biscuits each Christmas!

gemma.zhang

Thank you guys !!! .. it's been really helpful !!! .I feel much better now :-D not that we're making a big deal out of 200 pounds, just that we'll feel better if we were told upfront, ok, this is charged, not included.. rather than expecting unexpected at the end of the sale.. plus..he keeps making mistakes on our bills, got mortgage loan amount wrong, honestly, we've come up of all the enquiries ourselves.. He just passed our questions through to seller's solicitor.. even the statutory declaration thing !!.. was suggested by a lady (living on the same street we're buying) while talking to her on the forum.. Just feel that he's NOT doing what he's supposed to do..

Anyway, suppose I expected too much from my solicitor !!??
Thanks again .. guys..

gemma.zhang

Thanks.. We didn't do any extra searches rather than standard ones.. the local one - 220 (don' remember) - a huge pack full of yes no answers, probably includes sth else as well ?? i suspect it shall have the enviornment one, and drainage search, that's as far I remember. He also mentioned the not-able-to-cancel one from last sale...

Anyway.. i don't have the breakdown of that total search charge 328 pounds.. We just assume it right.. can't be bothered to call him, every time, him and his staff are very impatient. As if every second counts.

Richard_Webster wrote: »

Perhaps the poster would like to give some examples of searches that cost a "few pounds each." The only ones in that category are the last minute Land Registry and Bankruptcy Searches. Perhaps he is thinking of the statutory fee for the search of the formal registers held by the Council - but in common parlance the "search" also includes obtaining answers to a standard set of enquiries and that's what generally increases the cost.

Local Searches done through the local authorities themselves vary between about £70 and £280. Search agencies provide equivalent information for about £100. Drainage searches cost £40-£50 and Environmental Searches £30-£45. I normally do a pack using a search company that gives Local Search, Environmental Search, Plan Search Plus, Water/Drainage search and Chancel Check for £210.65. Not all solicitors will do all these searches and they are not all vital. I tend to take the view that it is better to have more information than less, but if client really wants to save money then we can agree not to do some of them.

We make nothing out of them - oops, sorry - the local rep for the search company brings my staff a tin of biscuits each Christmas!

budget_counsellor_shaz

Richard_Webster wrote: »

Perhaps the poster would like to give some examples of searches that cost a "few pounds each." The only ones in that category are the last minute Land Registry and Bankruptcy Searches. Perhaps he is thinking of the statutory fee for the search of the formal registers held by the Council - but in common parlance the "search" also includes obtaining answers to a standard set of enquiries and that's what generally increases the cost.

Local Searches done through the local authorities themselves vary between about £70 and £280. Search agencies provide equivalent information for about £100. Drainage searches cost £40-£50 and Environmental Searches £30-£45. I normally do a pack using a search company that gives Local Search, Environmental Search, Plan Search Plus, Water/Drainage search and Chancel Check for £210.65. Not all solicitors will do all these searches and they are not all vital. I tend to take the view that it is better to have more information than less, but if client really wants to save money then we can agree not to do some of them.

We make nothing out of them - oops, sorry - the local rep for the search company brings my staff a tin of biscuits each Christmas!

I have just telephoned a local authority and I asked they told me it would cost £130 for a them to carry out a residential search.......this has definately gone up in price since we last did one sorry:o

However he did explain that these should be with the new HIPS but as our house was on before the HIPS the house we are purchasing doesn't have one. He did say that I could do my own CON29 for £11 but reccomended that I didn't attempt this as I may miss things out.

He did go on to say that if a planning application went in a week after They had completed my search this would not appear on the searches. He also went onto say these searches only lasted between 3 and 6 months and if a seller has their HIPS completed and then are on the market for more than 6 months they would need to complete a new search as it would be out of date:eek:

I would still use a solicitor if the house was not a 'standard house' or if I was worried about covenants etc.

I do appretiate there are some very good solicitors out there.

Shaz

Curv

budget_counsellor_shaz wrote: »

We have not had any problems, we've had 1 solicitor that was difficult and kept accusing us of seeking legal advice from someone which we weren't.

Shaz... I read this a meaning that a solicitor got upset with you because you expected him to give you legal advice. Heaven forbid!

Even if that's not what happened, it gave me a chuckle.

budget_counsellor_shaz

Curv wrote: »

Shaz... I read this a meaning that a solicitor got upset with you because you expected him to give you legal advice. Heaven forbid!

Even if that's not what happened, it gave me a chuckle.

I would never ask a solicitor that is being paid by the vendor for advice. All I would like the other solicitor to do is get a move on they always seem to take ages:rolleyes:

But to be fair we are only doing one house.

The reason that the one solicitor (out of 5) was upset as he hadn't dealt with the sellor directly before although the others we've worked with have.

It was a bit scarey the first time but we followed the instructions given from a book recomended by which

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Which-Guide-Conveyancing-Consumer-Guides/dp/085202813X/ref=sr_1_8/026-7595549-5708419?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192186434&sr=1-8

It gives a step by step guide of what to do.......so thats the only advice I've had. When we come to sell the house I'll have a go at doing my own HIPS as well.;)

Shaz