moan about solicitors

jacko


Joined: 20/11/2007
Posts: 193

Message Posted:
15/02/2008 13:41

I am so annoyed and just wanted to have a good old moan to someone. Just had an email off my solicitor (responding to mine) i asked for receipt and confirmation that my stamp duty was paid and that my contract had been stamped.

He eventually came back to me with attached copies of receipts and stamp mark on my docs. In the next paragraph he claims his stuff got the total payment wrong on the email he sent me (bearing in mind i sent this 2 weeks ago to him) he is now asking for another £100 for his service. How dare he if i had never asked for the receipts this would not probably have been picked up. What protection do we have it seems they can charge what they want and change things as and when they suit. at the moment im seething £100 may not see much to some of you but to me it is the principal and im holding fire at the moment.



Sorry folks just had to fire off at someone who would listen, but word of warning watch out for this happening to yourselves.

McSteviet



Joined: 11/05/2007
Posts: 1089

Message Posted:
15/02/2008 15:08

Stick to you guns.



We signed an agreement with ours regarding the total cost and what was included and what wasn't.



So i would say "whistle"



MC

jacko


Joined: 20/11/2007
Posts: 193

Message Posted:
15/02/2008 15:27

thanks for your support MCSTEVIET this blimming stamp duty is a night mare what should have just been a payment for the stamp duty i have now found myself like many many others have incurred this extra cost to get it stamped as per new legislation but what he asked me to bank to his account which i did for these services and costshe is now saying i owe more. HUH he can run and jump.

McSteviet



Joined: 11/05/2007
Posts: 1089

Message Posted:
15/02/2008 15:43

jacqui,



I know what you mean, we have paid our Stamp Duty already at 0.5%, which we were advised to do. But we still need to register the Contract again, which is for all our benifits in the long run, but my solicitor wants £350 to do it, so I'm going over on the 6th March and I will do it for myself at 45 YTL.



Hang in there, it will be alright in the end I'm sure.



MC

orangekazzie



Joined: 31/07/2007
Posts: 1091

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:04

Jacqui

Which solicitor are you using?

Karen

Dusterbruce


Joined: 03/08/2007
Posts: 1125

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:10

I have finally heard from my solicitor today.



He tells me he needs 1.5% of my purchase price just to register my purchase agreemment (nothing to do with stamp duty) plus his fee for going to the Land Registry office of £250.



This would be in addition to stamp duty I will have to pay when title is transferred into my name.







Anyone else heard of this?



Is it another ruse to get more cash out of a 'rich foreigner with a bottomless wallet'? I'm just an ordinary working bloke

orangekazzie



Joined: 31/07/2007
Posts: 1091

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:15

Hi Dusterbruce

I know things have changed but when our time came to pay our tax and stamp duty we did it ourselves. We had 28 days from when the Tapu came to our property and measured it to pay the stamp duty (in Lira as sterling wasn't accepted neither were cheques) and tax otherwise the price went up. We then had to pay an additional fee for the release of our Kocan. Our solicitor told us how much we had to pay and his equivalent of an articled clerk went with us to each of the offices but we paid the money over to the officials ourselves. Our solicitor didn't charge any extra for the help though.

Karen

steelman550


Joined: 06/01/2008
Posts: 41

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:38

hI Steve,

We 're in the same boat,bad luck for us, that we can't get out to Cyprus till the end of the year. Had to bite the bullet and have just sent payment to our solicitors to register on our behalf.



Sam.

Tatlisu4me


Joined: 26/01/2008
Posts: 436

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:45

Jacko was told about the 1.5% I had to pay + £200 (solicitor) + £20.00 payable for stamping of contract. I sent over the required money in Jan 07 and two weeks later I sent a mail asking for recipt of payment and confirmation that the advocate had recieved the monies I had sent by transfer. The advocade said I am taking the contract to be stamped but you have sent over £100 less please pay me the £100 a.s.ap.

I have checked with my bank ( Nearly every stage payment has been a nightmare,buiders saying we have not recieved it etc,etc) and again bank has traced it to advocates bank, so I sent a mail saying please check again but not heard anything for a week now. Bent as a bob note these advocates

steelman550


Joined: 06/01/2008
Posts: 41

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:46

Dusterbruce,

I think you are getting mixed up,the 1.5% is your stamp duty and the £250

is the fee he is charging you to register the contract at the land registry.

Hope this helps.



Sam

Dusterbruce


Joined: 03/08/2007
Posts: 1125

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:49

Thanks Kazzie

I have forwarded his email to a couple of friends in Girne who are going to do some research for me for when I come over next week.

Forewarned is forearmed.

If he has 20 buyers on the same development thats £5000 for an afternoon's work visiting the registry office, nice work if you can get it!

Tatlisu4me


Joined: 26/01/2008
Posts: 436

Message Posted:
16/02/2008 00:50

Oh and by the way would have done it myself but not out until summer but was thinking wait until my advocate hears that some are charging £350 for this service, trying to now say I sent over £100 short, my blood boils !!

jacko


Joined: 20/11/2007
Posts: 193

Message Posted:
18/02/2008 13:09

Hi all

sorry not responded to all your replies fromreading it appears that i have not been the only one who has been taken for a ride by our appointed solicitors. These people are suppose to be acting on our behalf and in our best interest, how wrong are we, all they are only interested in is making a fast buck when they can. Like most of you i paid £1000 for solicitor fees and expected this to cover all costs how wrong was we, I never was told that more costs would incur for paying of the stamp duty etc etc i just wonder how many more surprises im going to get, my solicitor munir akil came across very nice (dont they all) my house was completed when bought,i relied upon him for the purchase. We paid for our house in full on the 1st week but he never told us about the stamp duty savings had we paid it within 21 days. so for this service he want ed to charge me £250 on top of what ive already paid, ha ha but he made a mistake and altho trying to get the remaining £100 out of me i refuse his email clearly stated what the total was.



So everyone out there be vigilant and get written quotes to all the costs you are expected to pay for the work to be carried out by your solicitor.

wynyardman



Joined: 15/12/2007
Posts: 4580

Message Posted:
19/02/2008 10:11

Hi all,



HBPB state that the stamp duty payment is the responsibility of the vendor although the purchasers have to pay 0.5% to them. Any additional charges made for late payment are therefore the responsibility of the vendor. HBPB say any attempt to charge more than should BE REFUSED and refer them to law 19/1963.

I know that HBPB have sent a list of questions to the PCO for clarification and are expecting answers today. WATCH THEIR SITE.



My lawyer is trying to charge ME the surcharges also BLOODY NIGHTMARE!

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
19/02/2008 15:25

Hi all , it is such a shame that you have had such bad experiences , i do feel for you , but you know there are also some real genuine helpful lawyers out there , that are not ripping their clients off , ours being one of them , i guess we have been really lucky to have found ours , he is now considered a friend

good luck simbas

beejay


Joined: 21/03/2008
Posts: 68

Message Posted:
23/03/2008 21:16

Don't you mean Manure Akil?

Bradus


Joined: 25/02/2007
Posts: 2641

Message Posted:
23/03/2008 23:14

beejay,



Just a guess..... are you one of the many disgruntled customers who have bought at Santa Fee on mortgaged land? Solicitor being Manure Akil?

beejay


Joined: 21/03/2008
Posts: 68

Message Posted:
24/03/2008 20:01

Hi Bradus,

No I'm not one of them, just another unfortunate mug that took

the advice of our unregistered estate agent to use MA "as he is the best on the island and is a barrister at law". Does not know much about conveyinsing, Ummmm.

Our site is in Karsiyaka.

Regards

McSteviet



Joined: 11/05/2007
Posts: 1089

Message Posted:
24/03/2008 20:19

We were given MR Akil's name last year, but I made some enquiries and didn't get any good reports, so I steered clear.



Mc

zink1505


Joined: 22/03/2008
Posts: 21

Message Posted:
24/03/2008 20:20

My advice to anyone is to have a lawyer totaly independent of any estate agent, developer, or builder. The British FO publish a list of lawyers which although not recomended (they cant do that) are clearly deemed to be reliable. Mine so far seems ok. I hope...............I never hear of any success stories on this forum, is this the forum or North Cyprus because sometimes its depressing................. all this bad news

Thanks Nigel

McSteviet



Joined: 11/05/2007
Posts: 1089

Message Posted:
24/03/2008 20:24

Nigel,



Believe me, there are plenty of people out there that are more than satisfied with their purchases.



I started a thread some months ago on this very subject. I will bring it to the top for you to see.



Don't get too dispondant, you just need to tread carfully, that's all, like in any other country you would purchase property.



Best regards



MC