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Conveyancing solicitor overcharged me

I recently moved abroad (August) and I sold my UK house which completed on October 1st.

My solicitor didn't email me a completion statement for my review prior to completion but I did receive a letter afterwards with the conveyancing charges detailed. The difference from the original quote, which I still have, was over £500.
I have exchanged a few emails with them about it and they have done nothing but fob me off with weak excuses or just generally ignoring me.
I feel that they did this deliberately because of the abscence of the completion statement prior to the money transfer and are trying to take advantage of the fact that I'm no longer a UK resident by waiting for me to give up.
Any thoughts on where I should go from here?
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Comments

  • HampshireH
    HampshireH Posts: 4,473 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Guess that depends on what they are charging for that was missed from your original quote

    Whats their breakdown compared to your quote?
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    What does their final billcome to? How does it break down? In what way does it differ from the quote?


    If anything unexpected arose during the conveyancing, or if the quote was an estimate based on an hourly rate, or if there were charges in the T&Cs that you had not noticed, then the finalbill might be right.


    impossible for us to advise without the details being provided to us.
  • steliz
    steliz Posts: 62 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    OK, the breakdown of the original quote is -
    Sale Legal Fees £335 + vat = £402

    ID Check £8 + vat +£9.60

    Telegraphic Transfer Fee £35 + vat = £42
    Bankruptcy Search £4

    Office Copies and Title Plan £8
    Total £465.60
    Deposit paid by cheque £370.00
    Remains to pay £95.60


    Post Sale statement
    Legal Fees inc. vat £600
    Telegraphic Transfer Fee inc. vat £36
    OCE's £6
    ID Check £10
    Total £652


    Difference £556.40
  • jimbog
    jimbog Posts: 2,113 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    steliz wrote: »
    OK, the breakdown of the original quote is -
    Sale Legal Fees £335 + vat = £402

    ID Check £8 + vat +£9.60

    Telegraphic Transfer Fee £35 + vat = £42
    Bankruptcy Search £4

    Office Copies and Title Plan £8
    Total £465.60
    Deposit paid by cheque £370.00
    Remains to pay £95.60


    Post Sale statement
    Legal Fees inc. vat £600
    Telegraphic Transfer Fee inc. vat £36
    OCE's £6
    ID Check £10
    Total £652


    [STRIKE]Difference £556.40[/STRIKE]

    Difference is £ 90.80
    It's the Legal fees that's doing it. Ask them why that element is different
    Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
  • steliz
    steliz Posts: 62 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    What I expected to pay in total £465.60
    What I actually paid £1022
    Difference £556.40
  • eddddy
    eddddy Posts: 16,412 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    steliz wrote: »
    What I expected to pay in total £465.60
    What I actually paid £1022
    Difference £556.40

    Based on what you say, there seem to be two main issues...

    1. They've 'forgotten' to deduct your £370 deposit
    2. They've charged you a legal fee of £600 inc vat, instead of the £402 inc vat that they quoted.


    So remind them that you paid a deposit, and ask why the legal fee they charged is higher than their quote.
  • steliz
    steliz Posts: 62 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I reminded them that I had paid a deposit a couple of weeks before the completion but that info didn't get processed when they produced the bill.


    I have been having an email conversation with them about this for 6 weeks and I either get ignored or I get told they will look into it.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Who are you emailing? Have you looked up their complaints procedure and are you following it?


    Having said that, your quotation is extremely low - suprisingly almost unbelievably low.


    That's no excuse for an error, but it makes me wonder whether there was something additional they did, which was priced separately in the T&Cs/Terms of Business which explains the jump from £402 to £600.
  • stator
    stator Posts: 7,441 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    G_M wrote: »
    Who are you emailing? Have you looked up their complaints procedure and are you following it?


    Having said that, your quotation is extremely low - suprisingly almost unbelievably low.


    That's no excuse for an error, but it makes me wonder whether there was something additional they did, which was priced separately in the T&Cs/Terms of Business which explains the jump from £402 to £600.
    Is it really that low for a sale only?
    I thought selling a house was legally quite simple
    I suppose if there's a mortgage involved it requires more work, but still
    Changing the world, one sarcastic comment at a time.
  • steliz
    steliz Posts: 62 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I was hoping for some suggestions on what I could next now that I have exhausted all polite attempts to get my money refunded.
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