Solicitor fraud

[Mike4]

I've just read (second hand) about a case on the TV program "Fake Britain", where a solicitor failed to pass on the funds to his client on sale of the client's house.

Apparently the buyer didn't end up owning the house despite paying for it. He lost the whole £465k (or some such amount) and got evicted from the house he thought he'd bought.

The point being that the buyer therefore carries the risk of fraud on the part of the seller's solicitor, a risk he has no control over. How can one protect oneself against this? The SRA claimed the solicitor was fake despite being registered with them, and declined to compensate the buyer.

[chas49]

I've just read (second hand) about a case on the TV program "Fake Britain", where a solicitor failed to pass on the funds to his client on sale of the client's house.

Apparently the buyer didn't end up owning the house despite paying for it. He lost the whole £465k (or some such amount) and got evicted from the house he thought he'd bought.

The point being that the buyer therefore carries the risk of fraud on the part of the seller's solicitor, a risk he has no control over. How can one protect oneself against this? The SRA claimed the solicitor was fake despite being registered with them, and declined to compensate the buyer.

I assume there wasn't really a client of the rogue solicitor/fraudster - the owner of the property didn't presumably know anything about the "sale" - hence no title passing.

If it was a real sale but the solicitor kept the money, wouldn't that be between the vendor and the solicitor?

(Might be worth an x-post on Legal Issues (Practical) to ask for responses over here?)

[PinkDalek]

I've just read (second hand) about a case on the TV program "Fake Britain", where a solicitor failed to pass on the funds to his client on sale of the client's house.

Apparently the buyer didn't end up owning the house despite paying for it. He lost the whole £465k (or some such amount) and got evicted from the house he thought he'd bought.

The point being that the buyer therefore carries the risk of fraud on the part of the seller's solicitor, a risk he has no control over. How can one protect oneself against this? The SRA claimed the solicitor was fake despite being registered with them, and declined to compensate the buyer.

Is this the case http://www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk/news ... aud-bill// involving Mishcon de Reya? If so it was a fake vendor who was impersonating the genuine owner.

I think Clitheroekid may well have discussed it elsewhere.

Found it, using the search function:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3335&p=32175&hilit=mishcon#p32175

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