Solicitor paid mess way less than expected after house sale

peter3hg

Did you just sell your share or did you staircase to 100% and sell the whole property (called back to back or simultaneous staircasing)?

If that was the case then there could have been stamp duty to pay.

HampshireH

poohjj said:

Hello @eddy thanks for replying.

does this happen? I assumed the housing association would have contacted me about outstanding service charge or rent before completion? Have you seen this happen before?

Thanks,
Samuel

Your solicitor would have checked and been given a statement which they should have shared with you, but of course any monies owed would be paid on completion.

poohjj

Hoenir said:

When was the redemption statement for the mortgage account dated. Did it include interest for the month of March up until today? 

No the redemption statement was only given this week. It only said I had to pay interest if it goes after the completion date which was today 

EssexHebridean

Your first step is to look back at the completion statement you were sent ahead of completion. If you have been sent more than one then you are looking for the most recent one. The bottom of the statement should detail how much money would be due back to you at completion - does that figure differ from what you have actually been sent? If there is a discrepancy, check for any emails from your solicitor between the date you were sent that statement, and the date of completion - was anything said about any changes which would reduce the sum payable? 

eddddy

poohjj said:

Hello @eddy thanks for replying.

does this happen? I assumed the housing association would have contacted me about outstanding service charge or rent before completion? Have you seen this happen before?

Thanks,
Samuel

poohjj said:

I always assumed the rent had to be paid up to date before you could complete?

Yes - rent has to be paid up to date on completion - so if any was owed, your solicitor would have had to pay it.

Yes - you should have been aware of any service charges or rent that were due.

And the buyer should reimburse you for any service charges that you have paid in advance.


....and there might be a retention by the buyers solicitor, that comes out of your sale money. But that's normally £250, unless you agreed to more.

Flugelhorn

is there anything on the completion statement that you don't recognise ? The most likely thing is to do with fees related to shared ownership

GDB2222

You don’t mention a purchase, but is there one?

Mildreds_Earrings

poohjj said:

Hello @eddy thanks for replying.

does this happen? I assumed the housing association would have contacted me about outstanding service charge or rent before completion? Have you seen this happen before?

Thanks,
Samuel

Hello Samuel, I work for a housing association and we wouldn't necessarily give the leaseholder their rent/service charge statement, during conveyancing, unless it was requested by them.

Our Solicitor gives us the completion date, then asks us to provide the amount owed by the leaseholder and any apportionments up to the completion date. Our Solicitor provides the leaseholder's Solicitor with the figures, then both respective Solicitors provides their client with the completion statement, several days before the completion date. It is at this point you would have the opportunity to point out any discrepancies. 

As others have said, the completion statement provided by your Solicitor BEFORE the completion date, should have all the figures but if the numbers don't tally, you will have to wait until Tuesday and contact your Solicitor. All the best. 

macman

Post up the completion statement with your personal details redacted. Otherwise, we are just guessing.
Did you not check it before completion?

annetheman

I'd be interested to see the outcome of discussions with your solicitor, OP. I'm also selling shared ownership and Mildreds_Earrings above has described what my HA said they would do, as well.

So essentially they'll just take what's remaining up to the day of completion for service charge and rent apportioned for that month of completion; then I have early repayment charges (you don't), and the estate agents' fees. So that is all that should be on there.

Could they have retained some of it for an onward purchase?