Can I be charged for receiving a Solicitors letter?

grubsters

Hi

I am a small business that has been trading for less than a year. I have a current dispute with my accountants, who have charged me more than originally quoted, haivng done less work. As such I have written to them to query this and advise the elements of their invoice that I am unprepared to pay for. Their response to this, has been to send me a letter from their Solicitors, giving me 7 days to pay the 2 invoices I own and also charging me just under £120 for the two letters? Can they do this?

Having visited the The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales website I am under the impression that they should be looking to resolve this with me, but instead they appear to be going for the jugular. I am quite prepared to pay for the part of the invoices that are not under dispute, but am worried that they may send another Solicitors letter to me which they will also exptect me to pay for.

Any ideas/suggestions comments?
Many thanks in advance

LittleVoice

Just wondered about the "originally quoted" amount. Was this a quotation or an estimate? And do you have it in writing?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i might be wrong here, but i think they can charge for the letters.. it all depends if they have said in previous correnspondance this was going to be the next proceedure, if you did not pay the invoices ( and also stated there were going to be additional charges )

i think you need to sort out some legal advice on the matter, as obviously the accountants are standing firm on what they have charged you...

in any situation its in the best interest all round to try and resolve any situation finacial or other, before it gets to the soilicitors or court...

have you asked them for a total break down of the additional costs/fees and how they work out their fees....eg.. per hour... per sheet typed...contacting inland revenue for certain things etc....

by the sounds of it this has been rattling on for a while... with many letters and phone calls... as i dont know what they ahve said in their letters i can only suggest the above.....

one last thing.... if it was me, from now on, only have written correspondence with them, no phone calls , and if they phone you, just ask them to put everything into writting.... ..just to be on the safe side... and then nothing is mis interpredted

richt71

I guess they're trying to pass on the cost of the letters to you but from the little you say this seems very heavy handed to go down this route without trying to resolve it. Unfortunately it looks like they just want to you to pay them and if not I can see this going to court. Hopefully not though.