Solicitor gone pop but Stamp Duty not paid

[55palfers]

BiL completed on house back in late Sept early Oct.

Had final invoice within days of completion from conveyancing solicitor itemising £10K stamp duty deducted.

Today had snottogram from HMRC chasing unpaid SD.

Inquiries reveal solicitors have gone bust.

Supposedly funds lodged in client accounts but "no one there" to release funds.

HMRC want money NOW! and are imposing daily interest.

Any ideas where he stands please?

[quinny100]

https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/solicito...

[Derek Smith]

I had a demand for a bit over £10k from HMRC. They admitted I didn't owe it but I'd missed an unpublished, even on their website, deadline.

The options I looked at were to break into savings, and lose interest. Not so much of an issue nowadays. Prostrate myself in front of HMRC and ask for sympathy (only joking, I was never that stupid). Or opt for a short-term loan. I went for the last.

However, HMRC moves slowly and the '6 weeks' they promised for refunding me stretched over 6 months or so, meaning that the low interest loan was upped to a higher rate.

Solicitors going bust moves even slower than HMRC.

I found my bank sympathetic and helpful and aware of the problem.

[Canon_Fodder]

OP, Quinny's link above is how your BiL can get his money back - eventually...

To pay the latter-day highwaymen aka HMRC their £10k, I suggest £1,500 win on 'Clean Getaway' in the last at Newbury tomorrow

[n3il123]

Canon_Fodder said:

To pay the latter-day highwaymen aka HMRC their £10k, I suggest £1,500 win on 'Clean Getaway' in the last at Newbury tomorrow

Hopefully you got your bet on last night? 4/1 now

[caziques]

I would assume there will be a lawyers fidelity fund, which will pay out at some point.

No doubt the Law Society will drag their feet, so the 10,000 needs paying ASAP...somehow.

I would, however, contact the Law Society by phone and e mail to see if they could move PDQ.

[bad company]

The solicitors will have been intervened. That is the SRA (Solicitors ReguLation Authority) will have appointed another firm to take over their cases. Find out who it is and speak with them.

[agtlaw]

Do not contact The Law Society.

Contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

[caziques]

agtlaw said:

Do not contact The Law Society.

Contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

In New Zealand the Law Society are the regulators, hence why NZ has a number of corrupt lawyers who rarely get sanctioned.