Extra solicitor fees

[IAmMyBelovedsAndMBeloveIsMine]

Hello All,

I'd appreciate your opinion/experience on the flowing matter.
I am in the process of purchasing a property and had a survey conducted. In the report the surveyor has mentioned a number of items which he has pointed out should be investigated by my solicitor. I have hence forwarded this to my solicitor but she is saying I need to pay an extra £195 +VAT before she does so. I have clearly outlines the items in the report to make it easier for her to identify and previously obtained confirmation that there would be no extra charges on top of the £1960 theu had quoted before instructing them.

Is it usual practice for solicitors to demand extra for this? I would assume this is part of their job.

Thank you for any response.

I thought it would be useful if I included the items raised by the surveyor:
• Confirmation of Tenure
• Request of FENSA certificate or warranty for windows and doors
• Investigation of any insurance claims related to subsidnece or ground issues
• Investigation of whether there are any issues relating to underground drainage
• Confirmation of absence of Japanese Knotweed and Other Invasive Plant Species
• Confirmation that the buidling is fully insured at present

I've never used a fixed price conveyancer, but those are pretty standard questions. You can do the work yourself if you don't want to pay.its mostly just asking the seller to provide the information plus one survey

Those are pretty standard questions that are normally asked during the conveyancing process. Seems odd for your solicitor to charge more for that, it’s basically stuff they should be asking anyway as part of the normal process.

The exception being the drainage question. You’d need to instruct a specialist drain survey company to look at that. All your solicitor can do with that one is ask the seller is there are any drainage issues to their knowledge.

I'm a solicitor and deal with property (though commercial not resi conveyancing, so very different fees). I think those are all standard things that very much should be in scope and included within the original fee quote.

These are standard items your solicitor should be investigating anyway, apart from the drainage as PP mentioned.

I’m wondering if they’re trying to charge you just to look at the survey. But we’ve bought twice and both times our solicitor asked to be forwarded a copy of the survey.

What did the original quote say it included exactly - was there a breakdown?

@starrymidnight yes they did provide a breakdown, please see insert. I also specifically asked them before instruction if there are any hidden charges I could expect during the course of the process and they said no.

My thoughts are they have asked for an extra fee as what you are actually asking is for them to consider your surgery report and raise any additional enquiries necessarily from points raised in it. That exercise itself is not included for in their standard fee, it is not in the usual scope to review a clients own survey report.

You are also taking up additional time of theirs by putting specific points to them that will be covered by them elsewhere already so duplicating their time and effort.

Another approach for you would be (if not already seen them) to wait until you have seen the property information form, the documents that go with that, title documents and yours solicitors comments to you on that, the further enquiries raised by your solicitor and the sellers replies to those. You will then see that much of this is already covered, tick them off for yourself and can contain it to just the few points that may not be to go in as additional enquiries and not link it to your survey report too much.

Survey report not surgery! Sorry

And it's not a hidden charge, you are asking for something in addition.

Yes I agree with imisschocolate17. Are you asking them to look at the survey report for you? That’s probably why they want to charge you extra.

Just let the solicitor go about their normal process and they’ll address all these points as a matter of course anyway.

Looks like they’ve also charged you a panel fee - were they not already on your mortgage lender’s panel?

Not sure I agree with PP that this is extra. As mentioned my solicitor specifically asked for copies of the survey. I guess it varies between them.

@Imisschocolate17 thank you for your response.
I am not asking solicitor to review the survey report as I have fully reviewed it myself.

The items listed are those the surveyor pointed out as requiring legal input and strongly recommended that I draw my solicitors attention to.

Thank you, I will take your advice. Sounds practical and sensible.

@Doris86 I am not asking solicitor to review the survey report as I have fully reviewed it myself.

The items listed are those the surveyor pointed out as requiring legal input and strongly recommended that I draw my solicitors attention to.

Are you using an online firm recommended by your agent? A lot of these firms add hidden costs for what is a standard part of a conveyancing transaction and they end up being higher than if you had used a local reputable firm in the first place. You should be given a fixed fee at the outset which includes everything including asking queries as part of the normal conveyancing process. Looking at your quote the things that you are being charged extra for are outrageous such as file opening fee but once you have started it will be difficult to change firms but in the future use a proper local solicitors who will not charge you for things which are routine part of a transaction.

The panel fee will be because the lender is one who insists on sending the mortgage offer via an online portal and charges the solicitor for access on every case