charge the full legal fee with little work has done--purchase failed

[helen]

I am buying a house with cash, so no survey need to do with the house. the solicitor has done
1. send me the quote and ask for 300 pounds. we paid.
2. I called him in one week, he did not do anything, he said he asked the agent no one anwer him, when i ask the agent, the agent said he did not phone.
3. he finally send us the property information form and fittings and contents form which seller has filled in.
4, ask us to go in with Identity so he can draft the neccessary transfer document.
5. at this time we decide not proceed with the purchase and did not go to his office.

I did not see any other letters from him such as local search or copy of land registrition.

now he want to charge me full legal fee plus search fee and ask me to send back the information form about the property. I called him to see the local search copy he refused he said it is not give to individual, only solicitor can review it and keep it.

i thought if he ask me to pay the search fee at least i should see the search?

He realy did not do much things, i have no calls from him and only 3 letters from him (1 is quote, 2 is the property informaiton, 3 is the final bill), can he really charge full legal fees?

any advise will be highly appreciated!

[Richard Webster]

It is unusual to charge the full quoted fee if the matter does not proceed but you do need to read the solicitor's terms and conditions - they might say that you do have to pay the full fee if you choose not to proceed.

[helen]

the t&C read: when matters are not completed: you must pay our fees in full whether or not a transaction is completed. we may reduce or discount a quoted fee in such cercumstances at our discretion.

if seems they can demand the full fee--i think the firm is family run, they will try to get out as much as they can.

how ever, do i need to post back the "property information form"?
can i insist to see the search as i have been charged? no one ever ring me about the search result, i doublt they did not do it.

we paid him 300 on 7 March, on 14th of march, agent said no one has contact them. on 24 march he send me the property information. on 28 march we decide to pull out.

so in total their work is less than 3 week.

[Richard Webster]

The property information form will have been provided by the seller's solicitors and so technically if you are not going ahead they will want it back - although why anyone is worrying as they probably only sent you a photocopy I can't imagine.

If you pay their fees you are entitled to your file so you can demand to see the local search once you have paid unless there is further stuff in their t & c saying that you can't.