Rachel and Matt

Rachel and Matt said:

“We instructed a solicitor to help us complete the purchase of our first home.  Our solicitor wrote a letter about the likelihood of costs in relation to the maintenance of the common areas, but she sent it to the wrong address – the house we were buying – not the flat we were living in.  Obviously, we didn’t get it. 

If we’d known about the maintenance costs that we’d be responsible for, we would have negotiated a discount on the sale price, so we felt we’d lost out financially.  That’s why we complained to the SLCC. 

The SLCC said:

“Yes, the error in sending the letter to the wrong address was inadequate professional service. But this was one small issue in what otherwise had been a well-conducted conveyance.  Rachel and Matt hadn’t lost out financially because it was clear that they couldn’t have renegotiated at that point, however we appreciated that the letter going to the wrong address would have caused them some stress and inconvenience. In recognition of that, we awarded Rachel and Matt £100 in compensation.”