Admin charge for copy of MEIWC

[Midwest]

As above, I've been asked by a solicitors for a copy of a MEIWC I did back in 2016. As some may know, I closed my business down a year ago, but I don't see why I should provide this for free, especially having paid out in solicitors fees for a recent house move. Their fees aint cheap. If it had been a customer, I'd given it for free, as I have done.

I was thinking my then hourly rate, so £30ish. Or is that being greedy! What do guys normally charge?

 

[westward10]

Definitely charge, £100.
In a similar vein we used to do periodics for a high street chain, now gone bust and when they took the contract from us due to price they kept asking for old reports because they had lost them. We quoted a £400 admin charge per report to supply a new one, they happily paid!

 

[Midwest]

(five words thing etc etc)

 

[westward10]

Probably explains why they went bust. One person okaying it another paying it.

 

[Dan]

(five words thing etc etc)

There's a shocked face like button you could have used for that!

 

[telectrix]

ask solicitor how much he charges for sending out a letter. then match it.

 

[Dan]

ask solicitor how much he charges for sending out a letter. then match it.

I recently paid £175. That was an intern not the full price for the actual solicitor too! That would have been £275. But apparently she read it first, hence the £175 I guess lol

 

[Lister1987]

Could they just get around it using GDPR portability & SAR clauses?

 

[James]

I would be inclined to charge over £100
if you have stopped trading, then surely all that information is archived away and will take a considerable time to find and copy!?

 

[ruston]

I recently paid £175. That was an intern not the full price for the actual solicitor too! That would have been £275. But apparently she read it first, hence the £175 I guess lol

That is the kind of fees I was charged recently , and £750 per hour and pro rata per visit.

 

[Baddegg]

I’d charge enough to make the solicitor feel like we do when they bill us......and them make em wait 3 months for the cert!

 

[Midwest]

There's a shocked face like button you could have used for that!

There you go! (5 words thing)

 

[Midwest]

Could they just get around it using GDPR portability & SAR clauses?

I’ve yet to ask exactly why it’s needed, but they did say they contacted the NIC to obtain a copy, but were declined. So it can’t be for my old customer.

 

[westward10]

The ball is well and truly in your court.

 

[Midwest]

Yep, gonna check out a few things. Will report back.

 

[James]

I’ve yet to ask exactly why it’s needed, but they did say they contacted the NIC to obtain a copy, but were declined. So it can’t be for my old customer.

It is a very good point.
That certificate was provided to your customer who you were contractually obliged to give it to.

They paid for it, and might not be happy for you to hand out copies to anyone willing to pay for a copy.

What do you think the solicitor would say if you asked for a copy of next doors house purchase?

Maybe worth giving the original customer a call to ask if they would send a letter to you asking for a copy to be sent to the solicitor.

If this is part of a house sale etc. Then all should be fine.
If someone has been injured or the house is burnt down, you could be setting yourself up for a whole lot of pain.

After giving it some thought, I think I would tell them that it is not something you are willing to do.

 

[Midwest]

The issue is part of a house sale. My original customer (vendor) did not store their Minor Works certificate. The buyers solicitor wants a copy of the MW’s. Certsure are (for some reason) only able to supply compliance certificates to solicitors.

I awaiting conformation that Certsure (Elecsa) have no objections. I will then supply a copy of the MW’s, charging a modest fee for my time, taking on board members advice.

 

[Midwest]

Something to note; this is another example where people are having electrical work carried out at their properties, and not being done by a competent electrician and not supplied with appropriate documentation. Then finding complications when trying to sell their properties.

 

[davesparks]

The issue is part of a house sale. My original customer (vendor) did not store their Minor Works certificate. The buyers solicitor wants a copy of the MW’s. Certsure are (for some reason) only able to supply compliance certificates to solicitors.

I awaiting conformation that Certsure (Elecsa) have no objections. I will then supply a copy of the MW’s, charging a modest fee for my time, taking on board members advice.

Certsure can't supply a copy of the MW certificate because they don't have a copy of it. They would only have a record of your notifying the job to them.

 

[Midwest]

Certsure can't supply a copy of the MW certificate because they don't have a copy of it. They would only have a record of your notifying the job to them.

Certsure own/run NICEIC & Elecsa. NICEIC & Elecsa use their software. One of the concepts of using this software (like all the other schemes) is storage. So why wouldn't they have a copy?

 

[Toneyz]

The supply of the MW cert will only benefit your original customer (the vendor) your contract was with then I would say you will only supply the certificate to them for an appropriate fee. It was always the case that it was them to provide this (which they lost).

 

[MJPD29]

Without a doubt charge at least 50. Imagine you wanted something from the solicitor how much they would charge you

 

[pirate]

In a previous life, clients quite often asked for copies of cash statements for house/business sales from years ago. This always irked me because why would I keep such stuff for ever...actually the requirement from the professional body was 10 years. I would have to dig out paper files from the store, copy and send the statements, it was always needed urgently, and sometimes it was for their accountants who had taxation queries.
I felt it was for the clients to keep such things safe, not me. However, I always charged a fee, in those days about £50, or more if the paperwork was extensive. I also learned that if i responded to such a request with saying yes, but it will take a few days, and my fee will be £x...all of a sudden the client "found" the original documents I had sent them. Basically, they were too lazy to search their own archives, but as soon as a fee was mentioned they got their ar*e in gear.
Odd how you would buy/sell a property worth £000s, lose the paperwork, then faced with a tiny bill, suddenly find it...
An architect I knew years ago had designed a full house for a client, and the house was subsequently built to his spec. The value of the house build was about £300k, which was expensive for the location and the time, 1990s. He submitted his final bill, £1200 which was never paid, and after several demands the guy who had requisitioned the house went bankrupt. As this was an architect-designed house there was no NHBC on it. However, chummy decided to sell the house, and as the area was now populated with well-paid footballers, he had it on the market at just under £900,000...a good profit it just 8 years.
The purchasers solicitors insisted on a final architect's certificate as the house was less than 10 years old...
My friend provided said certificate, after charging, and being paid, £12k by the original owner. " I knew this day would come!" he said to me over a lavish lunch...

 

[Risteard]

Certsure own/run NICEIC & Elecsa. NICEIC & Elecsa use their software. One of the concepts of using this software (like all the other schemes) is storage. So why wouldn't they have a copy?

For a start neither paper certs nor NIC Cert Software (Clik) certs are done on their software, so these would never be sent to them. It also isn't a requirement to use NIC certs so that opens up the possibility of any other software or paper-based cert being used.

Of course they have no access to the certs and never did have.

 

[Midwest]

For a start neither paper certs nor NIC Cert Software (Clik) certs are done on their software, so these would never be sent to them. It also isn't a requirement to use NIC certs so that opens up the possibility of any other software or paper-based cert being used.

Of course they have no access to the certs and never did have.

I’m confused.

I originally emailed my old client a copy of the MW’s, when I carried out the work. This MW’s is held in electronic form by Elecsa (Certsure software far as I’m aware). My old client (for reasons best known to themselves) didn’t safely store the document, as advised in the email.

The buyers now wish to have a copy from me. Elecsa can’t supply a copy of the MW to their solicitors (don’t know why). Hence they have asked me for a copy, of which I’ve safely stored.

Also, as far as I’m aware, my old client could obtain a copy from Elecsa for a small fee. Had I still be in business, I’d expect my old client would of approached me, and obtained a copy. Something I’ve done twice previously, but I’ve now decided why should I!

 

[Midwest]

Update; today I received a text from my old customer. They stated they had not received a copy of the MW's after I had completed the works. And they had forgotten about this, until they have come to sell their house. It appears the solicitor sent some confusing information about this request for a replacement MW's.

I normally used emails for my customers to receive certs from Elecsa. However, I'm no longer an Elecsa member, and after asking them today, there's no way of checking this paper trail, to prove the document had been sent.

I therefore decided, the only appropriate way to deal with this was to send my old customer a copy of the original MW's, and waive any admin fee.

No slap meal for me this weekend. Thanks for the advice though.