Solicitors fees!!

jmcol4

I have just received a bill for 5,300 euro for Solicitors fees for buying a house in Kilkenny!! House was bought for €170,000. €2000 plus VAT for his professional fee. Then €2800 for stamp duty and miscellaneous fees. Stamp Duty is €1700. So that's €1100 on miscellaneous expenses...is this normal?

ohnonotgmail

have you asked for a breakdown of the miscellaneous fees? they usually cover stuff like land registry search fees that the solicitor has paid on your behalf. the €2000 for professional fees doesnt sound outrageous. I presume you checked with them in advance what their professional fees would be?

davo10

jmcol4 wrote: »

I have just received a bill for 5,300 euro for Solicitors fees for buying a house in Kilkenny!! House was bought for €170,000. €2000 plus VAT for his professional fee. Then €2800 for stamp duty and miscellaneous fees. Stamp Duty is €1700. So that's €1100 on miscellaneous expenses...is this normal?

Your post is misleading. The €5300 is not for solicitors fees, the €2000 is. That equates to just over 1% of the purchase price plus vat which is pretty standard for the service. The stamp duty goes to revenue and the miscellaneous expenses will include the cost of searches, resgistry etc. You can and should request a break down of the expenses but you should take time to consider what it is you are paying for before you put up a post like this.

L1011

The misc fees are normal. 2k professional fees is rather high though.

goldenhoarde

L1011 wrote: »

The misc fees are normal. 2k professional fees is rather high though.

while it might be high the OP agreed this at the start with the solicitor. That was the time for the OP to negotiate

The OP could have asked for an estimated cost at the stage

Geuze

jmcol4 wrote: »

I have just received a bill for 5,300 euro for Solicitors fees for buying a house in Kilkenny!! House was bought for €170,000. €2000 plus VAT for his professional fee. Then €2800 for stamp duty and miscellaneous fees. Stamp Duty is €1700. So that's €1100 on miscellaneous expenses...is this normal?

The lowest typical sol fee is 950-1000 plus VAT.

So 2000 + VAT is high, but it could have been a complex case?

ohnonotgmail

goldenhoarde wrote: »

while it might be high the OP agreed this at the start with the solicitor. That was the time for the OP to negotiate

The OP could have asked for an estimated cost at the stage

well actually the solicitor is obliged to inform their client at the start what the expected fees will be.

ohnonotgmail

Geuze wrote: »

The lowest typical sol fee is 950-1000 plus VAT.

So 2000 + VAT is high, but it could have been a complex case?

950-1000? I paid more that 17 years ago. and that was in punts.

goldenhoarde

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

well actually the solicitor is obliged to inform their client at the start what the expected fees will be.

Yes but I was suggesting that they could have negotiated a flat fee at the start for the professional fees (that's what I did and paid 1000+vat at the time)

Geuze

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

950-1000? I paid more that 17 years ago. and that was in punts.

I paid 900 or 950 + VAT in 2005.

That same sol in 2014 charges similar, 950 or maybe 1000 + VAT.

AfterHrsProp

3700 euros for his professional fees & land registry is high excluding the Stamp duty. Very high in my opinion

But in truth, you should have checked all this beforehand with him before deciding whether or not to go with him. In dealing with professional services, an important part of it is pricing around.

I cant believe that you decided to go with a solicitor for a house purchase without knowing his fees beforehand.

ohnonotgmail

goldenhoarde wrote: »

Yes but I was suggesting that they could have negotiated a flat fee at the start for the professional fees (that's what I did and paid 1000+vat at the time)

indeed they should have. I did the same. Not sure why this in the Rip Off Ireland forum

L1011

goldenhoarde wrote: »

while it might be high the OP agreed this at the start with the solicitor. That was the time for the OP to negotiate

The OP could have asked for an estimated cost at the stage

Entirely true - far too late to question it now, it just is quite high. 800+VAT is the flat fee every solicitors near me rather spookily charges - I'm sure they'd never have contacted each other to agree that as that'd be an illegal cartel... :pac:

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

950-1000? I paid more that 17 years ago. and that was in punts.

More competition, less work recently and also the searches etc are often a hell of a lot easier - few minutes on Landdirect council planning sites and the jobs done.

ohnonotgmail

AfterHrsProp wrote: »

3700 euros for his professional fees & land registry is high excluding the Stamp duty. Very high in my opinion

But in truth, you should have checked all this beforehand with him before deciding whether or not to go with him. In dealing with professional services, an important part of it is pricing around.

I cant believe that you decided to go with a solicitor for a house purchase without knowing his fees beforehand.

it was 2000 for his professional fees.

AfterHrsProp

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

it was 2000 for his professional fees.

I know what his fees were. 1700 for land registy, miscellaneous is excessively high. Do you think he doesnt profit for charging a high price for these aswell

delahuntv

jmcol4 wrote: »

I have just received a bill for 5,300 euro for Solicitors fees for buying a house in Kilkenny!! House was bought for €170,000. €2000 plus VAT for his professional fee. Then €2800 for stamp duty and miscellaneous fees. Stamp Duty is €1700. So that's €1100 on miscellaneous expenses...is this normal?

Did you not ask what the fees were before engaging them?

Anyway - post is wrong. Fees were €2,000 + vat (not exceptionally high, but many would do it for €1,000 - €1,200)

Here's a guess at your breakdown
Stamp Duty: 1700
Professional fee: 2000 EUR + VAT
Land Registry Fees on Deed: 600 EUR
Land Registry Fees on Mortgage: 175 EUR
Title Searches (estimated) : 100 EUR
Commissioner for Oaths Fees: 20 EUR
Land Registry Fee for new folio and map: 40 EUR

If its an old house there may have been additional land registry fees and addition fee relating to registration and additional searches.


A full breakdown should be provided.

Effects

Don't they usually throw in a fee for printing and telephone as part of miscellaneous as well.

SATSUMA

Its never too late to negotiate. Ring the solicitor/partner and say you think its too high.

I think its about right to me.

It was cheaper during the boom because of the sheer quantity of houses being bought and sold.