Probate Fees - do these fees seem reasonable?

@zuinig: You literally said "But they give you whatever figure they think Revenue will likely accept which, in my case, were admittedly over-valuations."

And you won't get "professional opinion" here. This is a voluntary discussion forum, not a platform for professional advice.

"Let's hear your deep wisdom on how you know exactly what something is definitively worth"
Passive aggression of this nature has no place on AAM.
 
"I've used three in the past few years.
Written valuations for separation, divorce and probate."

They must be hoping you'll sell up soon.

I've seen lots of IT38's in my career and never a free valuation.
 
>Passive aggression of this nature has no place on AAM

And yet you dismiss me factually relating my experience with a valuer as 'piffle'?
 
>No, the piffle is the rubbish the valuer told you.

How to get a piffle-free valuer?
Everybody I spoke to tended to over value the properties; it's like valuing a used car and looking at the selling price and not the trade-in price.
Their rationale is that a higher valuation means less CGT down the road. But it also means more CAT exposure and a higher total asset value for thew solicitor to base their fee on.
In my case I argued about negative points like boundary issues and rights of residence and that these should have a more negative influence on the valuation. The valuers agree these are negatives but would only agree to discounts around the 5-10% range for these.
In our case it'll all work the same when the properties are eventually sold if the CAT and CGT rates stay the same.

I only write this in case it helps someone else.
 
A good solicitor would have been able to tell you very quickly that you were taken for a ride with an excessive valuation.

And they would have been able to recommend a reliable valuer. It's a sector ridden with chancers but there are equally some very professional ones out there.
 
>A good solicitor would have been able to tell you very quickly that you were taken for a ride with an excessive valuation.

The one solicitor I talked to wanted the highest possible valuations. I guess they're not a 'good' solicitor so I must have been right not to use them.

Nobody is taking me for a ride.
 
"The one solicitor I talked to wanted the highest possible valuations. I guess they're not a 'good' solicitor so I must have been right not to use them."

You most certainly were.

"Nobody is taking me for a ride."

You admitted above that you had to overpay tax on foot of an overvaluation.
 
>"Nobody is taking me for a ride."
>
>You admitted above that you had to overpay tax on foot of an overvaluation.

I haven't filed yet so I haven't actually overpaid any tax. If I do pay CAT based on what I subjectively consider an overvaluation then I'll pay correspondingly less CGT when I sell. I'm not going to suffer a loss in the long run and that's all I can do about this.
 
Good for you if you haven't filed yet, but consciously overpaying on the assumption that "I'm not going to suffer a loss in the long run" is IMO madness.
 
T McGibney said:
"I've used three in the past few years.
Written valuations for separation, divorce and probate."

They must be hoping you'll sell up soon.

I've seen lots of IT38's in my career and never a free valuation.
Click to expand...
Just Google "free valuation probate divorce" and you'll find lots of agents who are willing to do free valuations.
Presumably they do offer the service on the basis that at least some clients will eventually use them to sell.
Several of the agents in my area (Dublin 7) also regularly stick flyers in the door offering free valuations for probate, family law purposes, etc.
 
Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated, I'm convinced now to pursue this myself.

At times it felt like I inadvertently stepped into a tennis rally but all good comments and now let's all enjoy the long, sunny weekend. All the best.
 
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