Hello everybody!
I have recently purchased a unit in Southport, QLD. Before signing the contract, I asked to see the Disclosure Statement in order to check out the Body corporate fees. It said $38 per week. Fair enough.
This Disclosure statement was included in the Contract, which I signed and delivered to my sloicitor for coneyancing purposes, ofcourse. The solicitor said that their fees should be under $800. O.K.
Finally, the Setlement date arrives. All goes smooth until I received the Setlement statement in the mail.
Guess what? Body corporate fees are actually $45 per week!!!!
I called the solicitor to see what's going on. She said the she checked the body corporate fees with the stata managing agent, who quoted $45 per week. When I asked her whether she has checked the Disclosure Statement in the Contract, she said that she didn't have to check that, but she went with strata agent's quote.
Later I found out that the seller of the propery supplied an old Disclosure Statement which reflected an old price of $38 p/w, which was valid up until 01/03/03.
The sad and wrong thing (in my opinion) is that the solicitor failed to discover the body corporate fee discrepancy. Ofcourse, one more thing! She charged me OVER $800 for her fees.
Tricked twice!
Can I do anything about the solicitor's failure to to read the Contract properly and warn me about the higher body corporate fee before the setlement date?
Thanks,
Mil
I have recently purchased a unit in Southport, QLD. Before signing the contract, I asked to see the Disclosure Statement in order to check out the Body corporate fees. It said $38 per week. Fair enough.
This Disclosure statement was included in the Contract, which I signed and delivered to my sloicitor for coneyancing purposes, ofcourse. The solicitor said that their fees should be under $800. O.K.
Finally, the Setlement date arrives. All goes smooth until I received the Setlement statement in the mail.
Guess what? Body corporate fees are actually $45 per week!!!!
I called the solicitor to see what's going on. She said the she checked the body corporate fees with the stata managing agent, who quoted $45 per week. When I asked her whether she has checked the Disclosure Statement in the Contract, she said that she didn't have to check that, but she went with strata agent's quote.
Later I found out that the seller of the propery supplied an old Disclosure Statement which reflected an old price of $38 p/w, which was valid up until 01/03/03.
The sad and wrong thing (in my opinion) is that the solicitor failed to discover the body corporate fee discrepancy. Ofcourse, one more thing! She charged me OVER $800 for her fees.
Tricked twice!
Can I do anything about the solicitor's failure to to read the Contract properly and warn me about the higher body corporate fee before the setlement date?
Thanks,
Mil