Do Not Scrimp When Choosing A Solicitor

[geoffk]

We had our offer excepted for cash on the 16th march and we both wanted to do the deal within 14days .

.So i goes out and looks for a conveyancer and asked prices

I contracted a place that was recommended to me by a agent who told me they where good and were in Crewe some 25 miles from me..

.All was going well until i got the print out of costs..they had lied to me for about £400

I REFUSED to sign the contract and went off to find another solicitor..i then thought why not use the company the i have used for

other types of law cases as i knew them and they knew me.

.They were not the cheapest but at least i could pop in when i wanted,

,,So all is going well and we get to three days away from exchange of contract and the next minute a big big problem pops up that will stop the sale in its tracks..my solicitor told me that there was no way we could proceed if we still had these problems.

I really can not go into the problems as they are still getting sorted out but they are in the right of way nature.

I really believe that if i had gone with a on line shop that they would not of found these problems out as they were on next doors search not ours... so here we are today waiting for the land registry to come out to look at the house and put things right ...

.so anyone thinking of saving a few quid by going on line let this be a lesson as to what can go wrong and if it had not been spotted we would be in real trouble when next selling the house. we still have not got a exchange date but hope it is not too far away,,.

I really thank my lucky stars we got a decent solicitor as this could of been a nightmare if it had gone through undetected.

[hilltop]

Glad you have found a way through it all.

However, from my experience, 'decent' and 'solicitor' are usually mutually exclusive terms...

[erranta]

We had our offer excepted for cash on the 16th march and we both wanted to do the deal within 14days .

.So i goes out and looks for a conveyancer and asked prices

I contracted a place that was recommended to me by a agent who told me they where good and were in Crewe some 25 miles from me..

.All was going well until i got the print out of costs..they had lied to me for about £400

I REFUSED to sign the contract and went off to find another solicitor..i then thought why not use the company the i have used for

other types of law cases as i knew them and they knew me.

.They were not the cheapest but at least i could pop in when i wanted,

,,So all is going well and we get to three days away from exchange of contract and the next minute a big big problem pops up that will stop the sale in its tracks..my solicitor told me that there was no way we could proceed if we still had these problems.

I really can not go into the problems as they are still getting sorted out but they are in the right of way nature.

I really believe that if i had gone with a on line shop that they would not of found these problems out as they were on next doors search not ours... so here we are today waiting for the land registry to come out to look at the house and put things right ...

.so anyone thinking of saving a few quid by going on line let this be a lesson as to what can go wrong and if it had not been spotted we would be in real trouble when next selling the house. we still have not got a exchange date but hope it is not too far away,,.

I really thank my lucky stars we got a decent solicitor as this could of been a nightmare if it had gone through undetected.

If you get 4 terrace Victorians in a block, the two 'inner' houses often have right of way through your back yard/garden to get to theirs ie to put the bins out! It is very common.

If there is a right of way (for the neighbour) at the bottom of the garden and it has not been used for 12?+ yrs(ie it is fenced off & neighbours don't bother using it)

- If you can get written confirmation from previous house owners to prove that the path has been fenced off for at least 12+yrs, then you can claim the land and have it written into the deeds as yours, private with no more access!

It's a simple D.I.Y. - non 'soliciting' job!

[Cicero]

We had our offer excepted for cash on the 16th march and we both wanted to do the deal within 14days .

.So i goes out and looks for a conveyancer and asked prices

I contracted a place that was recommended to me by a agent who told me they where good and were in Crewe some 25 miles from me..

.All was going well until i got the print out of costs..they had lied to me for about £400

I REFUSED to sign the contract and went off to find another solicitor..i then thought why not use the company the i have used for

other types of law cases as i knew them and they knew me.

.They were not the cheapest but at least i could pop in when i wanted,

,,So all is going well and we get to three days away from exchange of contract and the next minute a big big problem pops up that will stop the sale in its tracks..my solicitor told me that there was no way we could proceed if we still had these problems.

I really can not go into the problems as they are still getting sorted out but they are in the right of way nature.

I really believe that if i had gone with a on line shop that they would not of found these problems out as they were on next doors search not ours... so here we are today waiting for the land registry to come out to look at the house and put things right ...

.so anyone thinking of saving a few quid by going on line let this be a lesson as to what can go wrong and if it had not been spotted we would be in real trouble when next selling the house. we still have not got a exchange date but hope it is not too far away,,.

I really thank my lucky stars we got a decent solicitor as this could of been a nightmare if it had gone through undetected.

Your experience is not uncommon.

Never accept conveyancing recommendations from estate agents; that is the ultimate poisoned chalice.

[Driver]

If there is a right of way (for the neighbour) at the bottom of the garden and it has not been used for 12?+ yrs(ie it is fenced off & neighbours don't bother using it)

- If you can get written confirmation from previous house owners to prove that the path has been fenced off for at least 12+yrs, then you can claim the land and have it written into the deeds as yours, private with no more access!

It's a simple D.I.Y. - non 'soliciting' job!

It's not that straight forward especially if the land is registered. Definitely not a simple DIY job unless you want the application to fail and possibly knobble your claim for ever.

(and by written confirmation i am assuming you meant statutory declaration.)

[pepsi]

Relations once dropped out of a potential purchase due to issues with a "Piggery Right of Way". This left open the possibility that someone would have the right to drive a herd of pigs through the lounge!

[porca misèria]

Relations once dropped out of a potential purchase due to issues with a "Piggery Right of Way". This left open the possibility that someone would have the right to drive a herd of pigs through the lounge!

Oink!

We like our lounge stylish!

[Spin Bowler]

Your experience is not uncommon.

Never accept conveyancing recommendations from estate agents; that is the ultimate poisoned chalice.

Hello,

We're considering buying in the near future. We arecurrently in rented.

This piece of advice puzzled me. Wouldn't an Estate Agent be motivated to recommend the best solicitor possible ?

Don't get me wrong, I don't trust the thieving buggers any more than most people.

I just would have thought that in this instance they would have good reason to recommend someone who was efficient and effective as this would assist thesale they are paid commission on.

What have I missed ?

[geoffk]

Hello,

We're considering buying in the near future. We arecurrently in rented.

This piece of advice puzzled me. Wouldn't an Estate Agent be motivated to recommend the best solicitor possible ?

Don't get me wrong, I don't trust the thieving buggers any more than most people.

I just would have thought that in this instance they would have good reason to recommend someone who was efficient and effective as this would assist thesale they are paid commission on.

What have I missed ?

The £150/£300 backhander they all get..

[Cicero]

Hello,

We're considering buying in the near future. We arecurrently in rented.

This piece of advice puzzled me. Wouldn't an Estate Agent be motivated to recommend the best solicitor possible ?

Don't get me wrong, I don't trust the thieving buggers any more than most people.

I just would have thought that in this instance they would have good reason to recommend someone who was efficient and effective as this would assist thesale they are paid commission on.

What have I missed ?

Estate agents provide recommendations not according to ability or repute, but for payment of a referral fee from the solicitor recommended, in addition to their commission from the vendor.

[Cicero]

The £150/£300 backhander they all get..

Precisely.

[lambs to the slaughter]

Wise words about finding a 'quality' solicitor - stick to what and who you know. It is usually the small family run businesses that still rely on customer care/satisifaction that provide the best service in my experience.

We aborted on one purchase due to a horrendous issue they found buried in a covenant and more recently on another picked up 3 serious issues that the vendors should have found/sorted when they purchased and subsequently had to pay to sort out before proceeding.

So paying a bit extra has saved us £1000s in the long run not to mention piece of mind and a good relationship that can be called upon at any time for informal advice about any other legal issues too.

[s2r2005]

just want to add my support for this, just completed and spent around £300 more than a chain conveyencer would have cost for the work.

for this extra money the solicitor walked round the property with a tape measure and some very old deeds checking out a couple of potentially very serious boundary issues. both of which we got the sellers to resolveand looked into some complex watercourse issues to see what liability we had. money well spent.

[bazquin]

No agent gets anywhere near £300 from a solicitor. The norm is £50, £100 at most. Solicitors justadd any agreed referal fee to their standard fees and pass that to the agent For the solicitor to pay £00 would just make them totally uncompetitive. Additionally solicitors are touting the agents for business constantly and even though a solicitor may be referred for a fee, if they do not perform they will be dropped by the agent for another solicitor who will offer the agent the same fee.

[Mildura]

Estate agents provide recommendations not according to ability or repute, but for payment of a referral fee from the solicitor recommended, in addition to their commission from the vendor.

Maybe I am alone (although I suspect not), but I would be keen to recommend a solicitor who got the job done quickly with the minimum of hassle. The paying of referral fees is not particularly widespread, despite what many here seem to believe.

[geoffk]

I know for a fact that the first one we used had given the ea £150 fee as it was in the contract they tried to get me to sign...i ended up paying £1700 and consider it money very well spent as it could of turned out a legal nightmare as the people who did own the right of way have put up their house for sale..

[audi tt]

I think a good lawyer/conveyancer is hard to find.

Would definatley say don't use one of these quick fix type deals.

My thoughts are that if i can't call up an actual person who i am employing and ask a question or something then i wouldn't use them.

Our apartment had been sold three times since its conversion, everytime the lawyer involved had missed the fact that it had a defective lease. We never missed it neither did our lawyer. But the three previous had!

Goes to show how bad they are in the uk.

Don't expect your solicitor to do all the work, read everything over, look at the plans on the title deed ect ect. If you find anything wrong or something you don't understand then tell them. thats what you are paying for.

[viva]

JUST HAD A SOLICITOR REFFERED TO ME BY MY MORTGAGE BROKER..£775 TOTAL FINAL FIXED FEE INC £80 LAND REG FEE ? THIS IS FOR A 3 BED SEMI 70K..DOES THIS SEEM REASONABLE OR EXPENSIVE ALTHOUGH MY BROKER SAYS THEY ONLY DEAL IN PROPERTY AND ARE NOT THE CHEAPEST BUT THE SERVICE IS THE BEST OUT OF 30 SOLICITORS ON HIS BOOKS ? OR IS HIS VESTED INTEREST COMMISION BASED ? + AS A 1ST TIME BUYER WITH A 45% DEPOSIT DO I NEED A BROKER WHOS FEE IS £325 FOR GETTING ME THE MORTGAGE DEALING WITH ESTATE AGENTS SOLICITOR ETC I SUPPOSE SAVING ME TIME TAKING TIME OFF WORK SORTING THINGS OUT MYSELF AS WELL...OR SHOULD I JUST HAVE GONE TO MY BANK AND SORTED MY OWN MORTGAGE..AM SELF EMPLOYED WITH 6 YRS FULL BOOKS 27K YR 98% CREDIT SCORE NO CCJ CREDIT CARD DEBTS LATE PAYMENTS ETC

[cartimandua51]

JUST HAD A SOLICITOR REFFERED TO ME BY MY MORTGAGE BROKER..£775 TOTAL FINAL FIXED FEE INC £80 LAND REG FEE ? THIS IS FOR A 3 BED SEMI 70K..DOES THIS SEEM REASONABLE OR EXPENSIVE ALTHOUGH MY BROKER SAYS THEY ONLY DEAL IN PROPERTY AND ARE NOT THE CHEAPEST BUT THE SERVICE IS THE BEST OUT OF 30 SOLICITORS ON HIS BOOKS ? OR IS HIS VESTED INTEREST COMMISION BASED ? + AS A 1ST TIME BUYER WITH A 45% DEPOSIT DO I NEED A BROKER WHOS FEE IS £325 FOR GETTING ME THE MORTGAGE DEALING WITH ESTATE AGENTS SOLICITOR ETC I SUPPOSE SAVING ME TIME TAKING TIME OFF WORK SORTING THINGS OUT MYSELF AS WELL...OR SHOULD I JUST HAVE GONE TO MY BANK AND SORTED MY OWN MORTGAGE..AM SELF EMPLOYED WITH 6 YRS FULL BOOKS 27K YR 98% CREDIT SCORE NO CCJ CREDIT CARD DEBTS LATE PAYMENTS ETC

Edit this so it's NOT ALL IN CAPITALS and someone might reply!!!

[Muskoka]

Some people get deeply offended my caps. Me, I'm too tough skinned. Anyway, I would disregard what solicitors are on estate agents books and phone around yourself to get quotes & to get a feel of how they sound. Sounds a bit pricey to me, but maybe not. Depends where you are, what your buying, etc, etc. I'd def spend a while phoning round - speak to friends to see if they can make recommendation. Don't go for a cheap online solicitor though. A good solicitor is money well spent

Actually the solicitors price you quote may not be too bad. I've just checked an online solicitor (though hes based in London). I would check the comparison websites for a mortgage (as long as you feel confident/comfortable doing this). And ask fiends for recommendations for solicitors. Take your time and dont use a cheap & cheerful online solicitor.

[audi tt]

This sounds on the high side to me.

Find your own solicitor/ conveyancer, ask friends, family and workmates who they used .

When we purchased our first house we called up a broker. We got him to come to the house and look at our mortgage options as we were new to mortgages.He found us one and we said we would get back to him if we decided to go ahead. The one he found us was with the Halifax, so as we already banked with them we went to them directly and got our mortgage. We basically used the broker.

Brokers are not all their cracked up to be anyway. About two years ago I needed a small mortgage to purchase a property, because I had been out of the country I looked at what deal I could get via a broker. None of them could get me a mortgage.Wwent back to the Halifax who know me and asked them. Got a mortgage no problem.

So why not ask around on the high street you may be suprised. I know it takes a bit of time but it could save you quids in the long run.