Legal Fees re Service Charges

[ADDLED]

Hi Beagles, I was wondering if I could call on your expertise again.
I had a letter from a solicitor last year demanding service charges that our landlord incurred when they used to manage our building (we've had an RTM Co for 5 years). I don't recall ever receiving a demand so there was a bit of email and phone call to-ing and fro-ing with intermittent threats of court action, and we eventually agreed an amount and I called my lender who agreed to add it to my mortgage account.
I've since been advised that the legal fees are £2400, which seems a bit steep for a few letters, emails and a phone call, so i asked for a breakdown of the charges. This is what I got:

"Sending an initial fourteen day letter before action; sending a final seven day letter before action; corresponding with you regarding an instalment proposal; communication with our client regarding the instalment proposal offer; drafting an email to you making it clear that the representative our client will not correspond with you directly and correspondence must go through our firm; drafting an email to you to suggest that you speak to your lender to clear the arrears and legal costs; sending you a follow up email following no response; preparing a long email to you setting out our client’s position and advising you that we will be preparing a claim should no payment be received; seeking instructions from our client following no response; receiving a call from you regarding non-receipt of invoices and querying other debit and credit entries on your account; providing you with a copy of all invoices; preparing a standing order form and sending it to you to set up an instalment proposal for payments going forward; receiving and a letter from your lender; having a call with your lender regarding the current position; drafting an email to you following no response being received to your standing order email; drafting a letter to you regarding the current position and requesting payment; email to you regarding the legal costs which have been incurred; receiving a cheque from your lender for the outstanding ground rent; further letter to you requesting payment of the costs; telephone call from you regarding your lender having made payment; call to your lender regarding the position of payment; call to you to advise you that your lender has not made payment of the service charge; drafting letter of admission; sending letter accompanying admission."

There are no costs shown at all, so I can't make a fair assessment of them. I've asked again and received an email with an ultimatum threatening court action.
Am I being unreasonable in asking to see an itemised breakdown of legal charges I'm expected to pay?

tks again
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[ADDLED]

Hi, I've been given a deadline of Monday morning to respond.* Ive asked again for a breakdown of the fees but the solicitor said that he isnt obligated because Im not his client.* Im paying the bill, so is that right?

[ULA]

Sorry i may have missed the point but is this solicitor acting on your behalf as it does not seem so from your post? Have you signed a client care letter instructing this solicitor?

[ADDLED]

Tks Ula. Its my landlord's solicitor. He got in touch because a the landlord claims there are some outstanding service charges. Im happy to pay them and my lease states that im liable for the landlords legal fees, which the solicitor has confirmed. What he hasnt done is given me a breakdown of the fees.* Since he's acting for the landlord, not me, is he obliged to give me a clear and* detailed breakdown of the fees im liable for?
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[ULA]

Since you are paying the bill then yes you should be able to get a time breakdown against those activities detailed. Typically they will come in 6 minute units of time. Alternatively ask the landlord to provide you with a breakdown of the solicitor's costs.*

[ADDLED]

Tks again. Landlord is Freshwater, they charge for everything and take ages. What rules does the solicitor* have to follow? Law Society? Would like to be able to wave some solid details in the solicitor's face to remond him of his obligations. He's been a bit of a weasel up to now.

[ULA]

There is a general understanding within the SRA Code of Conduct that a solicitor should be able to account to a client for their costs and where requested provide a costs breakdown for fees.*

The leverage you have over the solicitor concerned would be to say that if the information is not forthcoming then you would like a copy of the firm's Complaints Procedure.*

[ADDLED]

Tks Ula, Ive emailed... waiting to see what they come back with.
*

[ULA]

Fingers crossed. Let us know how you get on.

[ADDLED]

Just a thought... what would happen if they ignored my request and issued a County Court claim?

[ULA]

If they do then this moves out of my area of expertise, however the forum does have an area dedicated to helping with court claims, which also contain some handy guides:

https://legalbeagles.info/library/guides_and_letters/
*

[ADDLED]

Ok, had a response but it was just reiterating the list I already posted plus "paralegal @ XXXhrs @ £X/hr, partner*@ XXXhrs @ £X/hr..." etc. No time breakdown of times, dates of expenses.*

[ULA]

That is not really good enough. They should be able to provide you with a detailed list of each activity, by date, by person so you know their hourly rate and with fee per activity. I would suggest that given you have asked for this information more than once and it has not been forthcoming, your next course of action would be to raise a complaint.*

[ADDLED]

Thanks again, i think i will make a complaint. Will check their website later.
Are they allowed to charge me for the time spent collating the info I've asked for? The cynic in me is suspicious that they're trying to bump up the fees.
*

[ULA]

In most law firms these days time recording is electronic and prints outs are therefore available "at the touch of a button."* I would therefore expect that to produce such a print out, if they were to charge, would be no more than one 6 minute unit of time.*