OFFICE HOURS: Mon to Fri - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

(Please note that we close for lunch between 12 pm to 2 pm)

(First established 1985)

T: 0161 228 6777

F: 0161 228 7774

E: info@chungandco.com

COSTS & OTHER INFORMATION

CONVEYANCING – Residential, Commercial or Mixed

1.    INTRODUCTION

2.    TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS & INITIAL LEGAL FEES

3.    WORKS AND STAGES

4.    TIMESCALE

5.    SERVICES EXCLUDED

6.    BASIS OF COSTS

7.    LEGAL FEES

8.    ADDITIONAL LEGAL FEES

9.    DISBURSEMENTS

10.  GENERAL EXPENSES

11.  EXAMPLES OF OUR LEGAL FEES, DISBURSEMENTS AND GENERAL EXPENSES

1.     INTRODUCTION

1.1    All matters will be handled by our Mr Stephen Chung who is the Principal of this firm and the Head of our Conveyancing Department.   He was admitted as a solicitor in 1982 and has gained invaluable experience in different aspects in this field over the past 41 years in practice. Please see our web page for “Solicitors” for more information about him.

1.2     For personal reasons, he now accepts instructions only for the following types of transactions and only on the following charging basis.  Please first read our web page for “About Us” for Important Announcements.

1.3     Please note that Value Added Tax (“VAT”)*

1.4    Mr Stephen Chung’s currently hourly charge is £278 + VAT £55.60 = £333.60** (per Court’s guideline effective from 01.01.2024 for Grade A National 1 solicitors).

2.     TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS & INITIAL LEGAL FEES –

2.1    Please note that unless in exceptional circumstances and at our sole discretion (1) we do not accept new instructions for residential and/or commercial purchases from 01.10.2023, whether in cash or with a mortgage loan, (2) we only accept new instructions for residential or commercial sales, with no contemporaneous purchases involving additional funding, but only up to 01.05.2024, (3) all other instructions must be accepted by us on or before 01.05.2024, (4) the client must be in the UK and is available for meetings at our office since we must meet our clients face to face to ascertain their identity, and (5) we do not accept instructions by video call, telephone or message.

2.2    We accept instructions only for the following transactions but you must have first obtained our written confirmation before proceeding with any of the parties concerned:-

• Selling and gifting of property or land.
• Granting of lease up to 7 years only without any consent and/or registration required, with or without security of tenure, rent bond or rent review.
• Surrender or acceptance of surrender of lease without any consent and/or registration involved.
• Assignment of lease without any registration involved.
• Granting Licence to Assign of a lease.
• Preparing Authorised Guarantee Agreement, Rent Deposit Deed, Deed of Variation and Rent Review Memorandum.
• Rent review without any third party or registration involved.
• Conversion of joint tenancy to tenancy-in-common and the reverse without any third party involved.

3.    WORKS AND STAGES

3.1    The precise works and stages are not the same in each transaction but on a straight-forward basis they are generally like this for a sale or other transactions undertaken by us:-

-   Seeing you in person for taking instructions, ascertaining your requirements and expectations and giving you initial advice.

-   Verifying your identity and address.

-   (If applicable) Checking your source of funds and wealth when payment is required (other than payment for our legal fees and expenses) in compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) Regulations.

-   Checking whether sufficient funds are available for your intended transactions.

-   Checking whether all the relevant parties and their solicitors are ready to proceed.

-   Considering your title deeds (if it is a sale) and all the related documents and information.

-   Contacting all the parties involved and obtaining all the necessary documents for use.

-   Preparing the contract for sale, lease or the other subject documents of the transaction and all the related documents.

-   (Where applicable) Raising or answering enquiries before contract to or by the solicitors of the other party or parties.

-   Obtaining searches and other documents necessary for your transaction.

-   (Where applicable) Advising you to obtain valuation, survey and other specialist reports.

-   (Where applicable) Advising you on modes of joint ownership, i.e. joint tenants or tenants-in-common, and ascertaining your intention.

-   Reporting to you on all available documents and information obtained to enable you to decide to proceed or not.

-   (Where applicable) Checking whether the mortgage redemption statement and conditions are acceptable to you and obtaining your acceptance authority to be ready for repayment.

-   Obtaining your signature to the contract, lease or the other subject documents and the deposit (if required), our legal charges and other completion monies due.

-   Exchanging contracts, paying over the deposit (where applicable) and committing you (as instructed) to the intended transaction to be completed on the agreed completion date, notifying you of exchange and your obligation (where applicable) to pay the balance due on the completion date and (where applicable) vacate the property with all your belongings on or before the completion date.

-   Approving the Transfer, Lease or the other subject documents and obtaining your signature to all the documents required.

-   (Where applicable) Obtaining pre-completion searches and preparing for completion.

-   Completing the sale, lease or the other subject transaction and paying (where applicable) all the completion and other monies due.

-   Notifying you of completion and reminding you to close or open all utilities accounts and cancel or start building/contents insurance policies.

-   (Where applicable) Completing and submitting Stamp Duty Land Transaction Return (for rent) and paying the tax due.

-   (Where applicable) Preparing and serving Notice of Assignment and paying the requisite registration fees.

-   Dealing with all other post-completion matters.

-   Supplying you with our Completion Statement, receipted invoice and all the relevant documents for your own retention and accounting to you for any surplus on account or collecting any shortfall due.

-   Keeping you informed of progress throughout.

4.    TIMESCALE

4.1    The time taken varies from case to case and it is dependent on many factors such as the number of linked transactions involved, the efficiency of you and all the other parties involved such as estate agents, surveyors, lenders, local authorities, search providers and even sitting tenants, if the property concerned is tenanted.  However, a straight-forward sale (NB: no purchases) takes about 2 – 3 months but longer if it is a leasehold property, about 3 months for a grant of lease and about 2 months for the other transactions.

4.2    Please note that they are estimates only with no guarantee possible or responsibilities accepted.  All transactions are likely to vary and we can only give you a more accurate estimate once we have all the required information about your specific case.

  

5.    SERVICES EXCLUDED

-   No inspection of the property concerned.

-   No advice on the physical or structural condition of the property, its utilities and services including gas, electricity, water and sewer.

-   No advice on your choice of the property and suitability of your mortgage or other financial arrangements.

-   No advice on the value of the property.

-   No advice on planning consent and/or Building Regulations compliance, contamination, radon, flooding, mining, brine and any other environmental issues, EPC rating and intrusive plants.

-   No advice on any taxation (other than Stamp Duty Land Tax) and/or financial impacts or consequences out of your intended transaction;

-   Other works not agreed to be done in writing by us.

6.     BASIS OF COSTS

6.1   We do not offer any fixed price service and/or any “No completion no pay” service.  We charge for all work done, whether completion takes place or not.  

6.2   All sums quoted are (1) provisional only and are subject to all necessary changes from time to time with prior notice given whenever possible, and (2) subject to our Terms and Conditions of  Business as published in our website.

6.3   We cannot guarantee success, any particular outcome and/or conclusion of any work within a specified time scale since there are so many factors which are outside our control.  However, we always strive to meet the reasonable expectations of our clients.

6.4   We do not offer any “No completion no pay” service and we charge for all works done, regardless of outcome.  In exceptionally successful cases, we are entitled to charge a top-up fee of up to 20% plus VAT* of our original legal fees but we shall agree it with you in advance.

6.5   We reserve our rights in exceptional circumstances or when you act in breach of our Terms and Conditions of  Business to decline instructions or cease acting without accepting any responsibility, even if you have paid our legal charges and/or expenses in part or in full. We shall then reassess our charges and expenses incurred and seek payment of any shortfall from you or refund any credit balance to you. 

6.6    There are cases where we wish to charge only on time-spent basis.  If so, it will be based on the said hourly rate of our Mr Stephen Chung or £278 + VAT £55.60 =  £333.60 per hour**.  If so, we shall divide it into 10 units and charge accordingly but subject to a minimum sum of £1,000 + VAT £200 = £1,200.00.

7.     LEGAL FEES:

7.1    Please note that there will be two elements to our legal fees set out below and you should consider all the information here:-

-   Fees charges by Chung & Co Solicitors including General Expenses; and

-   Fees payable to third parties or Disbursements

7.2    Legal fees can vary for a range of issues including, but not limited to:-

-   Strict/short deadlines requested for purchase of the property.

-   Funds coming from overseas.

-   Complexity of the transaction.

-   Complexity of lender requirements.

-   N.B. We may decline instructions if we foresee any complication.

7.3   Our standard legal fees for sale only, not purchase, of Freehold and Leasehold titles for the following prices:-

    

FREEHOLD / LEASEHOLD (excl. VAT*)

• £0 / Gift to £100,000       =   £900
• £100,001 to £200,000     =   £1,020
• £200,001 to £300,000     =   £1,140
• £300,001 to £400,000     =   £1,260
• £400,001 to £500,000     =   £1,500
• £500,001 to £600,000     =   £1,740
• £600,001 to £700,000     =   £2,100
• £700,001 to £800,000     =   £2,460
• £800,001 to £900,000     =   £2,940
• £900,001 to £1,000,000  =   £3,420

Please note that we do not deal with any conveyancing where the consideration is over £1,000,000.

7.4   The above standard fees assume that:-

 -  This is a normal transaction with no defect in title and/or any work which requires remedying prior to completion or the  preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction.

 -  (If leasehold) this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease.

 -  The transaction is concluded in a timely manner with no unforeseen complications arising.

 -  All the parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from any third party.

8.     ADDITIONAL LEGAL FEES

8.1   In some circumstances, we may increase our legal fees to account for additional time, work or skill required to comply with your instructions. Examples include but are not limited to:-

-  Where there is a strict or short deadline for your intended transaction.

-  If a trust or other special document is required.

-  If there is a defect in the property and/or defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion.

-  If your interest is better protected by having a new lease granted to the other party rather than an assignment of your existing lease.

-  If we are required to obtain retrospective approval to any alterations to the property or obtain an indemnity insurance policy in relation to any problem concerning the property/transaction.

-  If a chief rent or ground rent is payable and you do not provide an up to date rent receipt.

8.2   The exact addition will depend on the individual circumstances and the complexity of the matter.  You must provide further details to enable us to evaluate the situation again.  If we are prepared to undertake any further work for you, we shall give you an estimate of our extra costs and expenses.  If agreed, we can proceed again otherwise you must seek alternative assistance to conclude or otherwise dispose of the transaction for you.

8.3    By law, we must conduct AML checks on our clients’ source of funds and wealth when payment is required during a transaction, such as paying off a mortgage from your own funds.  We can only utilise your funds if the results are satisfactory.  They are a time consuming and tedious process involving checking many financial documents.  In addition to our legal fees for the main transaction, we impose an extra AML check fees of £180 + VAT £36 = £216 per money handler or person involved in your funding, starting from yourself.  If the checks are complex or complicated, we may increase such fees but we shall agree the amount with you first before proceeding.  Such fees are payable upfront and are not refundable if the results are unsatisfactory and you are not able to proceed with the main transaction.

8.4    In general, there are the following additional legal fees payable:-

• If any mortgage or legal charge is to be redeemed and cancelled at Land Registry – From £180 + VAT £36 = £216 per registered title and £350 + VAT £70 = £420 per unregistered title.
• Preparation and submission of Stamp Duty Land Transaction Return to HMRC – From £80 + VAT £16 = £96 per return.
• Preparation and submission of application to Land Registry for change of ownership of registered land – From £80 + VAT £16 = £96 per registered title.
• If a General Power of Attorney is required, from £180 + VAT £36 = £216 each.
• If a Deed of Covenant or Variation is required, from £250 each.
• If a Statutory Declaration is required for dealing with title, boundary or other issues, from £200 + VAT £40 = £240 each.
• Expedited fee – From £500 + VAT £100 = £600.
• Leasehold title fee - £250 + VAT £50 = £300 per title.
• Arranging Indemnity Insurance Policy - £50 + VAT £10 = £60 per policy.
• Statutory Declaration / Statement of Truth - £150 + VAT £30 = £180 each.

9.     DISBURSEMENTS (fees payable to third parties

9.1   Disbursements are expenses related to your matter which are payable to third parties, such as search and registration fees.  You must pay them in addition to our legal fees.  We normally handle the payment on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

9.2   We shall endeavour to give you an accurate figure for each item when you wish to proceed.  We shall then check the documents concerned for the prescribed amounts or make enquires but many disbursements are subject to changes by the charging bodies or persons.

9.3    Typical disbursements for transactions that we handle are (current rate):-

• Client’s Identity Check fee - £15 + VAT £3 = £18 per person and/or company.
• ID search administration fee - £5 + VAT £1 = £6 per person and/or company.
• Lawyer Check Fee (for checking the other lawyer’s identity) - £95 + VAT £19 = £114.
• Land Registry Search fees - £3 per document.
• Land Charges Bankruptcy Search fee - £2 per person.
• Land Registry Registration fees – Not applicable since we do not deal with any transaction requiring registration or de-registration at Land Registry.
• Companies House Registration fee - £15.
• Conveyancing search fees (such as Local, Environment & Mining, Water & Drainage, Chancel, HS2 and Fracking) – Only if required in your particular transaction and the amounts vary depending on which search providers you choose but on average the whole package will cost about £300 inclusive of VAT (where chargeable) for a residential property and about £450 inclusive of VAT (where chargeable) for a commercial property.
• Stamp Duty Land Tax (for properties in England) for leases (NB: No purchase by us) - Based on the value of the property being purchased and your personal circumstances.  An estimation can be ascertained using the Stamp Duty Calculator on HMRC’s website.
• Land Transaction Tax (for properties in Wales) (NB: No purchase by us) - Based on the value of the property being purchased and your personal circumstances.  An estimation can be ascertained using the Land Transaction Tax Calculator on Welsh Revenue’s website.

9.4   Other disbursements, if required – Estimates only:

• Valuation fee – From £250 + VAT £50 = £300.
• Non-structural survey fee – From £500 + VAT £100 = £600.
• Structural survey fee – From £800 + VAT £160 = £960.
• Freeholder or landlord’s agents’ notice of assignment or transfer fee – From £100 + VAT £20 = £120.
• Landlord’s Managing Agents’ Information Pack fees – From £250 + VAT £50 = £300.
• Landlord’s Ground Rent receipt fee – £50 + £10 = £60.
• Lender’s mortgage redemption fee – From £300.
• Legal indemnity insurance policy premium, per policy - From £50 to £300 including Insurance Premium Tax.
• Notice of Transfer or Assignment fee – From £100 + VAT £20 = £120.
• Freeholder’s or landlord’s Deed of Covenant administration and/or legal fee – From £250 + VAT £50 = £300.
• Freeholder’s or landlord’s Certificate of Compliance fee – From £200 + VAT £40 = £240.

10.  GENERAL EXPENSES

10.1  They are our overheads and where applicable are also payable by you as additional legal fees:-

-    Office Administration Charges: £20 + VAT £4 = £24.

-    Bank Transfer fee: £30 + VAT £6 = £36 per transfer.

-    Postages/telephone/fax/photocopying/stationery charges: £25 + VAT £5 = £30.

-    Travelling/Mileage Expenses: £0.95 + VAT £0.19 = £1.14 per mile.

-    Bank’s cash handling fees: £0.80 per £100 (if you paid in cash by prior arrangement with us).

-    Post Office/DHL - Delivery to collection point charges: £10 + VAT £2 = £12 per return trip.

-    Colour photocopying charges: £0.50 + VAT £0.10 = £0.60 per A4 size page.

11.  EXAMPLES OF OUR LEGAL FEES, DISBURSEMENTS AND GENERAL EXPENSES

11.1  For a simple sale of freehold property with title registered at Land Registry for £100,000 without mortgage secured or any estate agents involved:

Our Legal Fees: £750 + VAT £150 = £900

Add: Disbursements:-

• Client’s Identity Check fee - £15 + VAT £3 = £18
• Lawyer Check Fee - £95 + VAT £19 = £114
• Land Registry Search fees = £6

Add: General Expenses:-

• ID Search Administration fee - £5 + VAT £1 = £6
• Office Administration charges: £20 + VAT £4 = £24
• Bank Transfer fee for paying net sale proceeds to you: £30 + VAT £6 = £36
• Postages/telephone/photocopying/stationery charges: £25 + VAT £5 = £30

Grand Total: £1,134

Net Sale Proceeds: £98,866 (£100,000 - £1,134)

11.2  For a simple sale of long leasehold (999 years) property with title registered at Land Registry for £100,000 with mortgage secured and estate agents involved (see our Additional legal fees for leasehold title):

Our Legal Fees: £750 + VAT £150 = £900

Additional Legal Fees for leasehold title: £250 = VAT £50 = £300

Additional Legal Fees for redemption of mortgage: £180 + VAT £36 = £216

Add: Disbursements:-

• Client’s Identity Check fee - £15 + VAT £3 = £18
• Lawyer Check Fee - £95 + VAT £19 = £114
• Land Registry Search fees = £6
• Estate Agent’s commission £1,500 + VAT £300 = £1,800
• Ground rent receipt fee paid to rent collectors = £30 (no VAT)

Add: General Expenses:-

• ID Search Administration fee - £5 + VAT £1 = £6
• Office Administration charges: £20 + VAT £4 = £24
• Bank Transfer fees for paying (1) Lenders and (2) you for net sale proceeds at £30 + VAT £6 = £36 each x 2 = £72
• Postages/telephone/photocopying/stationery charges: £25 + VAT £5 = £30

Grand Total: £3,516

Net Sale Proceeds: £96,484 (£100,000 - £3,516)

11.3  For a more complex sale of leasehold apartment for £100,000 (reduced for a quick sale) with title registered at Land Registry, mortgage loan repayable of £110,000, estate agents’ commission of £2,000 payable, and overall shortage of £15,000 to be made good by a gift of £15,000 from a relative (see our Additional legal fees for leasehold title):

Our Legal Fees: £750 + VAT £150 = £900

Additional Legal Fees for leasehold title: £250 = VAT £50 = £300

Additional Legal Fees for redemption of mortgage: £180 + VAT £36 = £216

Additional Legal Fees for AML Checks on the relative’s gift: £180 + VAT £36 = £216

Add: Disbursements:-

• Client’s and his relative’s Identity Check fees @ £15 + VAT £3 = £18 each x 2 = £36
• Lawyer Check Fee - £95 + VAT £19 = £114
• Land Registry Search fees - £18
• Management Company’s Information Pack - £250 = VAT £50 = £300
• Landlord’s Legal Fees for Consent by way of a Deed of Covenant - £250 + VAT £50 = £300
• Estate Agent’s commission - £1,500 + VAT £300 = £1,800

Add: General Expenses:-

• ID Search Administration fees - £5 + VAT £1 = £6 each person x 2 = £12
• Office Administration charges: £20 + VAT £4 = £24
• Bank Transfer fees for paying the mortgage loan and net sale proceeds to you: £30 + VAT £6 = £36 x 2 = £72
• Postages/telephone/photocopying/stationery charges: £25 + VAT £5 = £30

Grand Total: £4,338

Net Sale Proceeds: £662 surplus gift (£100,000 selling price + £15,000 gift = £115,000 - £110,000 loan = £5,000 less expenses £4,338 = £662 surplus gift).

LICENSING IMMIGRATION CONVEYANCING OTHERS > LAST WILLS TOP

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