| Posted By |
Message |
Charly
LOVE!
Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
Name:
|
I need your opinions please!!
We signed contracts to sell our current house and to buy our new house back in March. We are FINALLY scheduled to close on Monday (fingers crossed ). Anyway we agreed to pay our lawyer $1,500 on each side, so $3,000 total. Here's the issue...
The sale of our house has been smooth - no problems whatsoever, the purchase of our new house has been a NIGHTMARE!!! The woman is crazy and argues over everything!! It has taken us 91 days and had to threaten to pull out b/c we can not extend our mortgage committment past Monday.
SOOO our lawyer raised the fee on us by $500 for all the extra work on the purchase side. W T F !!! Can they do that? We agreed on a price, one side was cake and minimal effort on his part - the other side I admit has been alot of extra work - but call it a wash.
Has this happened to anyone else? This house has costs us so much money and we don't even own it yet
Message edited 6/15/2006 11:16:39 AM.
|
Posted 6/15/06 11:15 AM  |
| |
|
Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Long Island's Largest Bridal Resource | Long Island Weddings |
Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
wow that sounds unethical. Did you sign anything that allows him to increase his fees? I would push back and explain it to him the way you said it here.
It's a transaction..did he go above and beyond his job?
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:29 AM |
| |
|
LuckySV
LIF Adult
Member since 10/05 4675 total posts
Name:
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
That's sounds really fishy. I would push back. When we closed on our house it was a difficult. We went to contract at the end of Jan and didn't close until May 9 b/c the sellers kept pushing it off and their lawyer was such a nightmare. So, our lawyer did quite a bit of extra stuff and didn't increase our fee. I would fight it.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:31 AM |
| |
|
Charly
LOVE!
Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
Name:
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Posted by Blu-ize
wow that sounds unethical. Did you sign anything that allows him to increase his fees? I would push back and explain it to him the way you said it here.
It's a transaction..did he go above and beyond his job?
Well he has had to make more calls b/c the woman is impossible to deal with, but I don't think its fair we suffer and don't you think $500 is steep on an already high price of $1,500.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:35 AM |
| |
|
Diana1215
Living on a prayer!!!
Member since 10/05 29450 total posts
Name:
Diana
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
That sounds very weird. I would NOT agree to pay him more money.
You agreed on a price - and it was his job. If one end was a little harder than the others...OH WELL -- it is HIS JOB.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:39 AM |
| |
|
maryg
LIF Infant
Member since 5/06 196 total posts
Name:
Mary
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
unethical, probably yes. but since it's your lawyer, I'm always scared they will not do as good of a job on your paperwork.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:41 AM |
| |
|
Charly
LOVE!
Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
Name:
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
I called my lawyer (against my DH's wishes) and he said if I insist he will stick to the original agreement, but know that he put in a lot of extra work. He said we can talk about it tomorrow when we presign the sale papers.
Yes I acknowledge that and appreciate it, but why do I have to pay for her? I don't get this and I don't get lawyers that use flat fees and then change their minds at the end!!!
He actually said to me $500 isn't a lot of money - well to me it is. If that's his thoughts then why charge us an extra $500.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:50 AM |
| |
|
SweetestOfPeas
J'taime Paris!
Member since 3/06 32345 total posts
Name:
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Posted by Charly
He actually said to me $500 isn't a lot of money - well to me it is. If that's his thoughts then why charge us an extra $500.
 that would have me PEEVED!!!!!!!!!!
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:53 AM |
| |
|
Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Posted by Charly
I called my lawyer (against my DH's wishes) and he said if I insist he will stick to the original agreement, but know that he put in a lot of extra work. He said we can talk about it tomorrow when we presign the sale papers.
Yes I acknowledge that and appreciate it, but why do I have to pay for her? I don't get this and I don't get lawyers that use flat fees and then change their minds at the end!!!
He actually said to me $500 isn't a lot of money - well to me it is. If that's his thoughts then why charge us an extra $500.
that's crap. $500 is a lot of money to you. Does he think you are making a profit on the sale and thinks he should get a piece?
Again, that's crap. I would tell him he can't change his fees. He is a transactional attorney doing a transaction. He gave you the price but didn't say oh, by the way, if I have to make a few extra calls and do more follow up I will charge you more..
Good luck!
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:55 AM |
| |
|
Charly
LOVE!
Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
Name:
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Thanks ladies! I wanted to make sure I wasn't overreacting. I'm so emotional with these preggo hormones and my DH was just like "ok, I figured you would" so I thought I was nuts for being peeved!!!
I just hope he doesn't do a bad job b/c he thinks he's entitled to more money.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 11:58 AM |
| |
|
Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Posted by Charly
Thanks ladies! I wanted to make sure I wasn't overreacting. I'm so emotional with these preggo hormones and my DH was just like "ok, I figured you would" so I thought I was nuts for being peeved!!!
I just hope he doesn't do a bad job b/c he thinks he's entitled to more money.
He won't..he could be held liable for anything he does that misrepresents you. He wouldn't sacrifice his license and reputation.
Attorneys are supposed to be ethical.
|
| Posted 6/15/06 12:00 PM |
| |
|
MrsS2005
Mom of 3
Member since 11/05 13118 total posts
Name:
B
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Did you sign something or get a letter from him stating the price? If so, he cannot change the fee. Even if you don't have anything in writing, he shouldn't be able to raise the fee. It sounds like what he's doing is unethical. By charging a flat fee, he always takes a risk that he'll be doing more work than what he gets compensated for. That's his risk to take and you shouldn't be penalized b/c of a difficult sale.
|
| Posted 6/16/06 10:49 AM |
| |
|
justme1
Proud SAHM
Member since 5/05 1955 total posts
Name:
Jodi
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Posted by MrsS2005
Did you sign something or get a letter from him stating the price? If so, he cannot change the fee. Even if you don't have anything in writing, he shouldn't be able to raise the fee. It sounds like what he's doing is unethical. By charging a flat fee, he always takes a risk that he'll be doing more work than what he gets compensated for. That's his risk to take and you shouldn't be penalized b/c of a difficult sale.
I totally agree
|
| Posted 6/16/06 10:53 AM |
| |
|
Bxgell2
Perfection
Member since 5/05 16438 total posts
Name:
Beth
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
That's entirely unethical - I'm assuming you signed a fee agreement saying he was charging a flat fee of $1,500? Most attorneys handle closings for a flat fee, and they do that knowing there is a risk that some closings will require more time and energy than others. Most don't, and that's how they make money, but occasionally they do, but that risk falls on the attorney's shoulders, not yours.
|
| Posted 6/16/06 10:55 AM |
| |
|
Charly
LOVE!
Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
Name:
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
I don't think we signed anything - I think it was all verbal. He said that he's going to have a hard time explaining to the partners all the extra time he put in for only $1,500. I'm meeting with him at 3:30 today. I'm pretty sure he will not be getting the $500!!
|
| Posted 6/16/06 10:59 AM |
| |
|
MrsS2005
Mom of 3
Member since 11/05 13118 total posts
Name:
B
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
Be firm. It sounds like he's trying to swindle you for more $. I'm surprised there was nothing in writing about the fee. Lawyers should always put everything in writing, especially a fee arrangement. Otherwise, you could say that you agreed on a lower price and he'd have no proof of your agreement.
|
| Posted 6/16/06 11:03 AM |
| |
|
|
|
Re: I need your opinions please!!
I think it is normal for lawyers to charge more if it is not smooth sailing.
|
| Posted 6/16/06 11:17 AM |
| |
|
