We’ve got a planning permission submission in to rebuild our extension down the side of our house. This adjoins next door’s extension, so there is a ‘party wall’ involved. We get on really well and they are very supportive of what we want to do and can’t wait to see it done.

So, the planning submission goes online and letters, etc. get sent out to interested parties. In addition, next door have received THREE letters from separate solicitors telling them to use their services when we ‘damage their property’. This comes at no cost to them as we would have to pay all legal fees. Obviously, next door laughed at them and put them in the bin.

This just sums up the blame & claim culture that’s evolved in this country. It’s bloody sad there are parasites like this about

Just marketing. lawyers have targets too you know.

On their backs I hope.

Scum. To think some of them are proud of their jobs too. Lowest of the low.

legaltrackworld forum needs paying for too, you know 🙂

Apparently they have premier memberships which avoids the need to p*ss all over your neighbours.

It might be worth complaining to the Law Society, I can’t see how you’d be liable for objector’s fees, and stating that you are might be a violation of rules. You’d hope at least.

This comes at no cost to them as we would have to pay all legal fees.

Who says?

My best friend is a professor of law at a well known university and he is working on a study of how modern legal tactics undermine levels of community trust, he has had no trouble finding case studies!

For somebody to be bothered to pay for the list and to do the direct mailing there must be quite a few cases where people do stuff up and cause damage and require legal advice. Proactive vs parasitic?

Proactive parasites. Well, I suppose pretty much all parasites are. It’s just so galling that so far nothing has happened so nothing has been damaged. Even if it was we’d put it right straight away. It’s such a shame that next door neighbours are being encouraged to take legal action against neighbours as a default. As I say, parasitic scum

The marketing of divorce law is also on the rise. Girl next door to me drives a Smart Car advertising her divorce services, and unsurprisingly she is one of the most unpleasant people on the face of this rock.

Do the extension properly and you’ve got nothing to worry about have you. Slightly worrying that you are being so defensive to be honest.

Do the extension properly and you’ve got nothing to worry about have you. Slightly worrying that you are being so defensive to be honest.

Eh? Don’t know what hove been reading, but it’s not what’s been posted. You must be a right ray of sunshine at parties

Wall parties?

Girl next door to me drives a Smart Car advertising her divorce services,

Mustn’t be going to well.

3/10
Not a strong enough attack on the OP but shows potential

As a solicitor I would not do this it seems like touting which was a breach of the professional practice rules when I started out . The SRA are the modern big stick not the Law Society which is now the trade union only . The Guide to Professional Conduct prohibits direct contact by phone calls or personal aproach but is silent on letters.So the only complaint would be generic on the bringing the profession in to disrepute lowering public confidence clause.

Still scummy marketing though and you are right to be agreeved .

Difference between a solicitor and a leech, a leech drops off when you die.

I had a speculative letter from a Party Wall Surveyor offering their services over next door’s extension, but it was actually pretty fair and just explained that I was entitled to appoint one if I felt the need and they could provide this service. Not that I bothered, just chat to the builders regularly about what they’re up to.

Did OP actually see the letter?

People are to quick to tar everyone withe same brush
Crankboy is more the norm most legal types that I know would roll their eyes in despair at this

No, I haven’t seen the letters, but we get on very well with our neighbours and have no reason to not believe them.

I’m not knocking the legal profession in general, just the ‘ambulance chasers’. It’s really feels like there’s some right shitstirrers out there who are only to willing to make a fast buck at the expense of any and everybody

We had this problem – solicitors and “party wall surveyors” trawl the planning applications and then write to the neighbours impacted.

Our neighbour isn’t terrible worldly wise so just signed and returned the letter she got offering her free advice to protect her property and the first we knew of it was when we got a letter saying she had instructed the firm.

As a starter they required:

Payment of an initial fee estimate of £6500 + VAT
Mileage at £1.35 per mile + VAT for the 45 mile round trip from their office to our neighbours house
Soil samples and other geotechnics (estimate – another £5K) before they would give permission to proceed.

It was a complete ball ache and interesting to see that at least in some cases “regulated professions” are actually operating using borderline fraud and intimidation in order to generate fees. The party wall act doesn’t help because the way the legislation works is that you have no choice but to pay any professional operating on behalf of your neighbour, and there’s no test of “reasonableness” when it comes to fees.

Haven’t a number of regular posters on here ditched the legal game? My old man tried to push me that way and I’m happy I didn’t even open the prospectus.
Whilst I’m sure there are some diligent, conscientious people, the jokes and cliches are there for a reason. The most obnoxious team I’ve ever played darts against was the Oxford University Graduate Lawyers.
Whilst contract law can indeed be a beautiful thing, a significant number of the profession ultimately make their living from human conflict.
We’ve also latterly imported a litigation culture from the US which has made things worse.

just5minutes, that sounds properly awful. Did you manage to make them go away?

WoW… Just5…I hope it worked out ok for you.

How do these people sleep at night ?

“Better Call Saul”

£1.35 a mile?!

Our neighbour isn’t terrible worldly wise so just signed and returned the letter she got offering her free advice to protect her property and the first we knew of it was when we got a letter saying she had instructed the firm.

As a starter they required:

Payment of an initial fee estimate of £6500 + VAT
Mileage at £1.35 per mile + VAT for the 45 mile round trip from their office to our neighbours house
Soil samples and other geotechnics (estimate – another £5K) before they would give permission to proceed.

If your neighbour appointed them, then your neighbour has to pay their fees.You have no contract with the surveyor, so no responsibility toward them. Normal PWS fees are £60-£90 per hour (my FIL is one amongst other things). 3rd party fees can be awarded against you under certain circumstances but they have to be “reasonable”.

Interesting thread on the subject here: http://forum.building.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?tid=4607

Difference between a solicitor and a leech, a leech drops off when you die.

Some good, some bad, plenty indifferent. I’ve encountered some of each…
What profession/trade are you in, benji? all sweetness and light to a man?

Was one of them from Vincent brown associates by any chance – they are specialist in this.