In a previous life, clients quite often asked for copies of cash statements for house/business sales from years ago. This always irked me because why would I keep such stuff for ever...actually the requirement from the professional body was 10 years. I would have to dig out paper files from the store, copy and send the statements, it was always needed urgently, and sometimes it was for their accountants who had taxation queries.
I felt it was for the clients to keep such things safe, not me. However, I always charged a fee, in those days about ÂŁ50, or more if the paperwork was extensive. I also learned that if i responded to such a request with saying yes, but it will take a few days, and my fee will be ÂŁx...all of a sudden the client "found" the original documents I had sent them. Basically, they were too lazy to search their own archives, but as soon as a fee was mentioned they got their ar*e in gear.
Odd how you would buy/sell a property worth ÂŁ000s, lose the paperwork, then faced with a tiny bill, suddenly find it...
An architect I knew years ago had designed a full house for a client, and the house was subsequently built to his spec. The value of the house build was about ÂŁ300k, which was expensive for the location and the time, 1990s. He submitted his final bill, ÂŁ1200 which was never paid, and after several demands the guy who had requisitioned the house went bankrupt. As this was an architect-designed house there was no NHBC on it. However, chummy decided to sell the house, and as the area was now populated with well-paid footballers, he had it on the market at just under ÂŁ900,000...a good profit it just 8 years.
The purchasers solicitors insisted on a final architect's certificate as the house was less than 10 years old...
My friend provided said certificate, after charging, and being paid, ÂŁ12k by the original owner. " I knew this day would come!" he said to me over a lavish lunch...