IS there no depth to the depravity of these solicitors unleashed upon an unsuspecting public? Is there nothing that can be done to rein in their venal dishonesty and incompetence that so threatens public trust? I refer, of course, to the disclosure by the Standards and Privileges Committee of the House of Commons that Peter Mandelson's debt portfolio amounted to #598,000.
And who is to blame for Mr Mandelson being able to buy a house with multiple loans apparently in excess of 10 times his annual salary which were apparently unknown to his mortgage lender, the Britannia Building Society? His solicitor, of course! Who else?
According to your report (July 2), Britannia Building Society is reported as saying that their investigation found ''inconsistencies'' which it blamed on the ''sloppy conveyancing'' of Mr Mandelson's solicitor. The BBS is surely not trying to say that Mr Mandeslon was an innocent abroad and subject to being taken advantage of by his solicitor. Did his lawyer force him to borrow half a million quid? And what of the Britannia - did it not ask the right questions of Mr Mandelson? If so, did Mr Mandelson answer them truthfully or not?
If Mr Mandelson lied then I would like to know why the Britannia have decided to do nothing when in similar circumstances the ordinary mortgage borrower would be subjected to a financial inquisition.
I am not privy to what was discussed between Mr Mandelson and his solicitor. If any purchaser advises his solicitor that he is paying the bulk of the price from his own resources then how is the solicitor to check that? This is simply an example of the client creating his own problems, which can occur through client stupidity as well as dishonesty, but when things go wrong as they do setting the lawyer up as the fall guy. It happens all the time.
I read in your paper the tales of woe from people complaining of the wrongs done them by lawyers. Rarely, if ever, is the other side of the story told as doing so would be a breach of confidentiality.
No doubt this letter will attract a tirade of response from people who have been done down by solicitors. What a wicked lot we are.
Alasdair C Sampson,
Sampson & Co, Solicitors,
17 Strathmore House, East Kilbride.
July 2.
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