Legal Fees!

I had occasion to do a Transfer of Charge for my property recently – requiring a signed Certificate of Compliance and a Deed of Covenant from the Managing Agent, Warwick Estates, on behalf of the Trust.  Two simple letters/documents for which the Rentcharge Deed confirms “a reasonable fee not being less that £15”  However, I was charged £140 for the Notice of Transfer and £60 for the Certificate of Compliance!   During my tenure as property manager, the Trust set the fees that the managing agent could charge for such ‘ancillary services’. 

I have, therefore, asked the Trust to confirm if it has authorised Warwick to charge residents £200  and if so do they consider £200 to be a reasonable fee?  The Deed/Certificate do not require to be sworn or certified by a solicitor  – only checked against a resident’s account and signed off by a Trust director –  so why, I asked, are residents being charge solicitors’ rates!

I have yet to receive a reply