What an extraordinary way to behave!

A leaseholder was recommended by a former client to come to me as ‘the go to valuer’ to advise on his lease extension on his flat in Knightsbridge.

My client care letter was duly sent for which he thanked me saying he would study it carefully over the weekend. The following Tuesday, the letter was delivered to my office signed agreeing to my terms.

A couple of weeks later, I inspected and duly carried out my valuation work and reported within a few days with the range of premium payable and inter alia informing him that he will need to put up a deposit of 10% of the offer amount within 2 weeks to the landlords as stakeholders.

He responded by saying how impressed he was with my report and was going straight away to his solicitor asking for a s42 notice to be prepared for him to sign to be served on the landlords immediately.

His solicitor, in his client care letter, too pointed out that 10% of the offer amount needs to be paid within two weeks.

The notice was duly served.

Two weeks later, the client withdrew his claim (despite his solicitor advising him not to do so) saying he hadn’t realised he needed to raise such a large deposit. Moreover the funds to pay for it was dependent on the sale of a property abroad which he never mentioned to either his solicitor nor myself before embarking on this exercise.

As a result has now lost the ability to re-serve for a further year as a ‘deemed withdrawal’.

Oh, and by the way, he now says he hadn’t realised the reasonable initial valuation costs incurred (despite being plainly spelt out in the client care letter) were what they were saying they should be for a sum equivalent to 10% of what was stated and subsequently invoiced. As much as he has admitted he has absolutely no excuse; advised me to grow up from demanding to be paid for work done as he was not going anywhere!