Do I have to pay these costs

[IDIssues]

Posting for traffic..

I live in a flat ( one of 4) in a converted house. Each of the owners is also a joint freeholder.

One of the flats is being sold, ( hasn't exchanged yet) the solicitors acting for the seller have asked us each to fill in form ID1 to prove our identity for purposes of land registry documentation. They want it sent back next week.

However, they need it verified by a solicitor, which costs from a google £99.

I don't have a spare £99 at the moment, wondering what to do, worst case I have enough limit left on my credit card. Last time a flat was sold in 2020 none of use had to do this, so wondering if its right we all individually pay a hundred quid!

If it's purely certification of your identity eg certified copy of your passport, it's £12 at the post office but I'm not sure about the form

If they want it verified by solicitor, then that'd be their cost. I'd probably offer to pay the £12, but anything additional they can bear the cost. If the seller wasn't selling, then you'd have nothing to pay, without their action you have no action, so it's a cost on them in my eyes.

Thanks, the form needs a solicitor to counter sign as identity confirmed and checked !

if they want it, they pay for it. It's to achieve their ask, they can pay for it.

Solicitors do offer it as a service but it's obviously chargeable , cheapest is to do it online but that's 99 quid !

Forward them the proposed cost, ask if they are happy to cover it. If not, tell them you cannot provide them with it.

You do nothing. They will either have to pay the fee or they don't sell. Their choice.

the solicitors acting for the seller

Seller bears the cost or doesn't get what they're asking for, as mentioned above, if they want to sell, they pay your costs.

Now that is a good idea!

We had to do this recently- and the Post Iffice version was not accepted. So we had to do it again.

I expect you can find somewhere to do it for less than £99. I looked up solicitors on Google maps in some cheapish urban areas nearby, called a few, and picked one. I think it was £30

Thank you, was this for your own property or as one of a number of joint freeholders?

Surely if it needs to be verified by a solicitor- then they can send someone to you to watch you sign it? I can't see any reason you should have to trawl around and take yourself to a different firm.
Unless I'm misunderstanding what verifying means, it sounds like they literally just need to witness you signing and check your id? In which case our solicitor did it for £5 paid in casg a couple years ago..... so 100 seems excessive!

So the sellers’ solicitor has asked for this? For your IDto be certified by a solicitor?

I would have thought they (as solicitors) would be able to certify it without charging you as it is for the benefit of their client.

Give them a call and ask if they can certify it. Then ask if they will do it without cost to you as it is of benefit to their client but no benefit to you. On the off chance they say no, tell them to pass your apologies on to their client but you can’t afford to spend nearly £100 to help someone else sell their flat. I’d bet (at least as much as the solicitors change) that they will find a solution for you within 24 hours.

Absolutely ridiculous that you would need to bear any cost for something that does not benefit you at all.

Tell them you're happy to complete a form if required (I'd be asking them to clarify why this is necessary as presumably the details of the current owners of the remaining flats are already on record at Land Registry?) - however, they need to bear any costs.

But expect the others to do the same when it comes to you wanting to sell yours!

I would fully expect it anyway. But it is irrelevant, surely, because the person who is selling will no longer be a joint freeholder and has no bearing on me wanting to sell in the future.

Are the sellers solicitors local to you? The easiest thing is to go to their office and one of them check your ID. There's no conflict of interest for them, so no reason to go to a different one.

I'm shocked at the £99 figure. Last time I needed verification (about 15 years ago, to be fair) it cost me £5 from a local solicitor. It takes literally 5 minutes.

Hi, no unfortunately they are several hundred miles away!!
Yes I was surprised at the cost, it's probably a 5 minute job

It might not be the same thing but I have twice been asked by the solicitor acting for my parents' estate to get a form witnessed and signed by another solicitor - both times it cost me a fiver from a local solicitor. I made an appointment with them and it took a few minutes. This is only in the last two or three years.

No, not 24 hours. 3-4 weeks, during which time the vendor, the buyer and the estate agent are all chasing on a daily basis and panicking in case the sale falls through.

Doesn't matter if it costs £1 or £100 you shouldn't be incurring costs for someone else selling.

I'd ring the most convenient solictor to you, get a cost and let them know what it is and ask them where the invoice should be sent to

I've had to have stat declarations signed by solicitors before and it's only been £10. Are you sure a local one won't do it for cheaper?

However, agree with others you shouldn't have to pay at all.