Asked to pay legal fees that may never have existed?

[dinkydonk]

Been in a long standing dispute with the board of directors in a property development where i live and i am a shareholder.

I made an application to the board of directors to re-route my flue in accordance with listed building consent i had.

The board told me they would not consider my application until i agreed to cover their costs of considering the application, Surveyour and Legal fees.

I told them they didn't need a lawyer but agreed to pay their surveyour fees and did so. They continued to argue that they would not consider my application till i agreed to cover their legal fees.

In the end of agreed and made the offer they asked for. Then the board stopped communicating with me and never took or asked for the money again.

Their lawyer wrote 5 emails to me, never as an attachment on company headed paper, just as emails, stating he was instructed by the board of dorectors.

I then hired a lawyer and the other sides lawyer confirmed to them on a phone conversation he was instructed but never contacted them again.

I've just discovered that the Ltd company the board sit on have never paid a penny in legal fees to this law firm. It was October, Nov and Dec 2018 when i recieved this communication.

So 9 months later, either the lawyer never invoiced for this work, or he did invoice but 9 months later has never been paid.


Is this illegal? Is this something i can go to the police about? I feel they have tried to intimidate me into paying legal fees that may not have existed in the first place, which is why when i offered to pay them the money, they haven't taken it and refused to communicate with me on any level since

Any help would be gratefully recieved.

[des8]

It seems from your post that although you have agreed to pay their legal costs, they haven't actually incurred any and you haven't yet had to pay anything.
If my understanding is correct I don't see that there is anything for the police to consider

[dinkydonk]

It seems from your post that although you have agreed to pay their legal costs, they haven't actually incurred any and you haven't yet had to pay anything.
If my understanding is correct I don't see that there is anything for the police to consider

Well they refused to consider my application until I stated I would pay their legal costs, so, no not a matter for the police, but a serious civil matter.

I believe they tried to extort money from me on false grounds, for 6 months they claimed there were legal costs to pay when these costs never existed. Surely bordering on fraud?

[des8]

From what you have posted it appears they said they would only consider your application if you agreed to pay their costs, including any legal costs incurred. I don't think it unusual to obtain prior agreement.
At that point they would not have incurred any legal costs, and it seems none have been incurred since.

Were you ever actually asked or invoiced for a specific sum?

[dinkydonk]

From what you have posted it appears they said they would only consider your application if you agreed to pay their costs, including any legal costs incurred. I don't think it unusual to obtain prior agreement.
At that point they would not have incurred any legal costs, and it seems none have been incurred since.

Were you ever actually asked or invoiced for a specific sum?

I've had 5 emails from their solicitor. I have it in writing that they HAVE incurred costs associated with the boards external legal advice and the I am required to cover these costs.

No payment has ever been made to these solicitors since their first email in October last year.

Are officially instructed solicitors allowed to work for free on behalf of a friend or associate, which appears to be the case here even though they claim to have incurred costs?

[des8]

Solicitors can work pro bono if they wish.

So they say they have incurred costs, but have not yet paid them.
Perhaps they have not yet been invoiced.

You seem not to have been asked to pay a specific sum, but just warned that costs have been incurred and you will have to pay them.

IMO there does not seem to be a case to alledge extortion

[dinkydonk]

Solicitors can work pro bono if they wish.

So they say they have incurred costs, but have not yet paid them.
Perhaps they have not yet been invoiced.

You seem not to have been asked to pay a specific sum, but just warned that costs have been incurred and you will have to pay them.

IMO there does not seem to be a case to alledge extortion

A solicitor has not invoiced them after 9 months? Surely highly irregular?

Appears this is a complete stitch up between a board member and his mate, a lawyer, at my expense.

[des8]

A solicitor has not invoiced them after 9 months? Surely highly irregular?
That is a matter between solicitor and client

Appears this is a complete stitch up between a board member and his mate, a lawyer, at my expense
But you have not had to pay anything (yet) so how is it at your expense?.

Sorry, but can't see what the problem is other than the matter of your heating system