Beware the Fraud Restriction Fees in the Property Report!
I was happy with the service provide by Simply Conveyancing during the purchase of my property in 2023 - however, now that I am selling it (2025), I have been made aware of a restriction on the title that I didn't explicitly consent to. There is an Anti-Fraud restriction on the title which my current conveyancer (not Simply) is charging £350 plus vat to "undertake enhanced due diligence and arrange its removal on completion". I did not ask for this and it wasn't on the original quote from Simply for the conveyancing fees. I approached my Simply conveyancer about this today and it was pointed out immediately that the information relating to the Anti-Fraud restriction was contained in the 12 page Property Report that was emailed to me. The rest of the report contained information relating to surveys (why they are important etc.), and explanations relating to the various aspects of the conveyancing process. I glanced over most of it as I am familiar with the process already. I didn't expect a hidden fee to be lurking within the 12 pages of text. This was not highlighted to me separately by my conveyancer. Also, as it is not mandatory, the conveyancer should not automatically add this to the title register. The correct approach would be for this to be pointed out to me and I should be asked to give my consent in writing for it to be added (not the other way around). Now I am stuck with a restriction that I did not want and a hefty bill to get it removed/dealt with. I want to warn others about this - please look at the Property Report thoroughly and look at the Fraud Restriction paragraph. I am not a Landlord nor am I absent from my property - this restriction was not necessary as I could have set up a property alert (if concerned about fraud) for £40. I am going to make an official complaint to Simply Conveyancing about the lack of transparency relating to this fee and the fact that it has already cost me £140 and now will cost me another £420. Transparency is critical when it comes to additional fees and costs should be made clear to the client, not just sneaked into the middle of a 12 page report. Also, if something is not mandatory, it should not be added to a Title by default.