GeoffM

Due to a cock-up by the solicitors selling my house, I owe the estate agents a few tens of pounds. As the latter have been somewhat unpleasant to deal with, including hassling my mother whose number they had solely as an emergency number while the sale went through, I have no interest in making it easy for them to receive any money I might choose to give them.

So if I sent them a US check, how much would it cost them to get it cashed (roughly, I know banks will vary)? Is it a hassle? I will not be paying any fees and will charge for postage, time, and effort. If they end up with nothing then it's no skin off my nose! Call me unsavoury but they have been a PITA.

Actually, if anybody's got a legal POV on this, I'd be grateful too. Wasn't my fault; it was signed, sealed, and receipted before the estate agents noticed an error.

Sin715

Their bank will charge the exchange rate plus a fee, the bank I work for charges £7. If it is for a small amount they will probably get immediate credit but if its a large amount the bank will have to send the cheque for foreign collection which could take 3-6 weeks.

Mummy in the foothills

Our UK bank charged £20 altogether.
Cheapest way is to transfer some money to them using Xe or another similar site.
Or if it isn't much maybe they will accept paypal?

sir_eccles

The trick so to speak would be making sure that despite the fees and hassle for them to deposit it, that they actually accept it as full and final payment. At a certain point you might have to give them more than they are owed to make sure they don't kick up a fuss about it.

TimNiceBut

Stupid question but if the solicitors cocked it up, why don't you get them to sort it out?

GeoffM

The point of the exercise is to minimise the amount of cash they receive at the other end! As it's not my fault, I don't see why I should make much of an effort, when they haven't been particularly nice to me or - worst of all - my mother about it.

That's a good point - I believe any letter should state "in full and final payment", which is then accepted automatically if they cash the cheque?

Thanks. Hopefully the latter though it's only a few tenners.

They did mess up the bill and I agree with the corrected value. They sent the funds for the house sale to me minus the estate agent fees as per the statement, except the statement was out by those few tenners. Getting them to sort it out would still involve me sending some money - perhaps via them if they want to be involved, though I doubt they'd want to for such a small amount. Mind you, if the estate agents charge the solicitor, then the solicitor charges me... they've got significantly more legal grunt than me, even if they're not that type of legal speciality!

Mummy in the foothills

Just realized your Mum is there, why not send her money via paypal or Xe and let her send them a UK check so they don't get a penny extra.

Sally Redux

Yeah I would just get it over with.

GeoffM

Maybe I'm not explaining this very well! If my mum pays, and I pay her, then it costs me £50 and they receive £50. If I send a USD check for ~£50 that costs them £20 to cash then I've still paid £50 but they will only receive £30. The objective is the latter for the treatment they've given me, although I'm still keeping my side of the bargain. They could then try to claim any difference from the solicitor, as it's they who miscalculated the bill.

I'm not being very nice to them, two wrongs don't make a right and all that, and I'm drawing this out much more than I need to, and could solve it quickly and simply. Sometimes though there is the satisfaction of payback (or not, in this case)!

sir_eccles

I don't know how legally binding that is.

I think we all understood it. However, for such a trifling amount the effort needed to be expended in gaining this satisfaction seems to be disproportionate.

TimNiceBut

Plus if they're already arsey about 50 quid, do you really think they're going to go away if they don't get the full amount?

Jscl

I think if it costs them too much they will just take it out of the amount you paid and say you still owe the rest.

Can't you tell them you will wire them the money minus fees, as it was their mistake? If you're straight up about it they might accept it more than if you try to be sneaky.

RICH

Send a US$ check for the amount based on the current exchange rate and be done with it. Any fees their bank charges them is their problem.

I sent a check to my UK credit card last month. $100.00 got me a credit of gbp 61.98. Conversely I just got a Wire from a UK account for gbp 1544.46 which arrived as $2479.15 Both cases basically 62 pence per dollar.

No exchange/wire fees, I guess it is built in to the rate or paid their end.

GeoffM

Yes I'm probably wasting far too much time, though it still pains me what they emailed me and said to my mother. I'll just send a USD check for around $80 and let them deal with that, per the suggestions.

Thanks, and sorry for being petty

RICH

It is understandable how you feel. Fighting beaurocracy is a thankless task. I would rather not pay on principle, but the main objective is to get them off your Mum's back.