Dispute with conveyancing solicitors bill

[mrjon]

Request for advice

I was buying a property and the sale was aborted after 18 months, I received a final bill from my conveyancing solicitor for 90% of the original fixed price quoted, I made a complaint about the bill, I was expecting the bill to be 25% of the fixed price as the sale was aborted, as per the terms and conditions that I signed, I also complained that the solicitor had not acted in my best interests by not getting information from the vendor's solicitor that I requested and I relied upon this information, which caused me a financial loss.

I proposed in my complaint that the bill should be regarded as settled with no outstanding balance, I heard nothing back immediately from my complaint and I assumed they accepted my complaint and the matter was closed.

After 8 months I received an email response to my complaint making demands for full payment, I exchanged a few emails with the solicitor, but he was quite aggressive with me I proposed alternative debt resolution or mediation to resolve the matter, and the response was I had 3 days to pay in full or enforcement action would commence, my response was you have not complied with pre-court action protocol and refused alternative dispute resolution and that is not the proper way to behave or deal with a complaint, I was ignored.

At that time I was living with my son and he was in Thailand I planned to visit him, as the solicitor had stated that enforcement would commence in 3 days, I forwarded an address for service where my son was staying in Thailand otherwise I would not receive any court paperwork as I would be abroad, the solicitor did not respond to that.

This happened a year ago I am back from holiday and I have not heard anything at all about this again, can I assume the matter is over or did the solicitor attempt to serve me out of the jurisdiction? the bill was £850, I am worried he may try to rack up the costs of service etc and try to push up the claim to £5000 to make it a bankruptcy matter, he was so aggressive I find it difficult to believe he has just dropped it, I suffer from an anxiety disorder, and could do with some clear-headed advice on this.  Thanking all the helpful people on this forum.

 

 

[lolerz]

Do you have a copy of the terms and conditions you signed?

Do you have a breakdown of the costs they're demanding?

Do you have copies of the original correspondence when you queried the balance?

[AndyOrch]

Have you checked the CCJ Trust to see if you have a default judgment ?

https://www.trustonline.org.uk/

If no judgment then no costs forget it.

 

Andy

 

[mrjon]

I do have a copy of the terms and conditions which state before the point of ready-to-exchange contracts abortive costs are 25% of the full bill, and if at the point of ready-to-exchange contracts then 90% of the full bill is aborted,  my argument is that the other party were never in a position to exchange contracts, simply one side in a position to exchange is not enough, as the exchange cannot happen without 2 parties in agreement.

I have the credit Karma App, which would alert me if CCJ, but if I was served abroad I am not sure it would show up as possible CCJ is address-dependent.

Thanks for trustonline link, I contacted them and explained I was abroad and could a CCJ be checked, they said I could search the overseas address and it would show, but it would not show on my credit file.