Solicitor sold my property to a fraudster?

Solicitor sold my property to a fraudster?

11:12 AM, 15th January 2021, About 3 years ago 12

Text Size

A solicitor sold my property to a fraudster. Fraudster produced fake utility bill and a driving licence in my name (fake utility bills and driving licences can be bought for £5.00 on the internet). The law society’s recommends that as long as the documents are from an independent source they are acceptable to the solicitor whether they are genuine or not. I had to go to the court to reverse the sale deed with significant legal costs.

The insurance company of the Sellers’s solicitor is not paying any compensation to me for the costs I had incurred, insisting that the solicitor has followed the guideline as stipulated by the law society; the documents submitted by the fraudster are from an independent source irrespective of the documents are genuine or not.

However, the law society is investigating the transaction. As the law society is a closed circle, they will support the solicitor and show a single finger to me.

Does anyone know how I pursue the case further? Please note it can happen to anyone as long as there are sloppy solicitors.

John


Share This Article


Comments

Darren Peters

8:16 AM, 17th January 2021, About 3 years ago

Rather than the solicitor wouldn't it be better to pursue the fraudster? Or are they unknown?

Hiremath

18:59 PM, 19th January 2021, About 3 years ago

The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017.

Here is the loophole the fraudster could use to impersonate sell any property in the UK.

The purposes regulation—
The seller's solicitor should take steps to "verify" the seller as follows:
(a) “verify” means verify on the basis of documents or information in either case obtained from a reliable source which is independent of the person whose identity is being verified;
(b)documents issued or made available by an official body are to be regarded as being independent of a person even if they are provided or made available to the relevant person by or on behalf of that person.

The documents supplied by the "fraudster" should be sourced from an independent source. The regulation DOES NOT stipulate that they should be re-checked with the source itself if they are genuine or not. The fraudster solicitor is perfectly right within his profession practice NOT TO cross-check the document. Hence, can say he has followed the regulations and plead innocent.

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Tax Planning Book Now