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difficulty in having contracts signed.

In one case,

which was mentioned by a member of the Council,

an objection by the purchaser's solicitor to such a

clause in the draft contract on a private sale led to

the termination of the negotiations for the sale of

the property which was sold the next day to another

party.

The Council are of opinion that the practice of

making the purchaser liable for an approval fee in

conditions of sale or contracts for sale either by

public auction or private treaty is to the advantage

neither of the public nor of the profession. They

have therefore passed the following resolution :

" That in the opinion of the Council no solicitor

should include in any conditions of sale or contract

for sale prepared by him any condition or clause

providing for the payment by the purchaser to the

vendor or his solicitor of a fee for the approval of

the draft conveyance, assignment or transfer, and

that the profession

throughout the country be

requested to give effect to this resolution."

In so far as the members of the public are concerned

there is no logical reason why the purchaser should

be obliged to pay any part of the vendor's costs

of sale which include the cost of approving of the

draft deed. The provision imposing such a liability

on the purchaser is unfair, and it is difficult to

justify it to a purchaser should he question it.

The dropping of the custom will not impose any

injustice on vendors or interfere with their rights.

The right to exact the payment in addition to the

purchase money depends entirely on contract, and

the practice of imposing such a liability on the

purchaser by contract seems to be an arbitrary one,

although it has become general in sales by auction.

In considering the position as it affects solicitors,

regard must be had to the provisions of the General

Order of 16th April, 1884, made under the Solicitors

Remuneration Act, 1881. By the operation of the

Land Registration Rules, 1937, the General Order

applies with modifications to sales and purchases

of registered land as well as to land not coming

within the provisions of the Registration of Title

Acts. By part I of Schedule I to the General Order

the scale fee is expressed to be the proper remunera–

tion " for all charges including .... perusing

and

completing

conveyance."

The vendors'

solicitor's work of perusing and approving the

draft conveyance is included in the remuneration

prescribed by the scale, and if the solicitor for the

vendor or the purchaser as the case may be, elects

to charge the scale fee there is judicial authority

that he may not charge anything more than the

scale fee. If therefore the vendor's solicitor receives

from the purchaser or his solicitor any sum pre–

scribed by the contract or conditions of sale as

payable by the purchaser to the vendor or his

solicitor as an approval fee, he must either pay it

to the vendor or allow him credit for it against his

costs of sale. The approval fee where it is stipulated

for is an indemnity by the purchaser to the vendor

against part of his costs and belongs to the vendor.

DEATH DUTIES

WE observe that the professional author of the ninth

edition of the standard work of

Hanson's Death

Duties,

recently published by Messrs. Sweet & Max–

well at £3 ios. od., is Mr. Jackson Wolfe, LL.D.,

who was previously a solicitor in Ireland and is now

in practice in England at the Chancery Bar. The work

has been completely re-written and is modelled on

annotations of each of the relevant sections of the

Finance Acts. Mr. Jackson Wolfe is a brother of

Mr. J. Travers Wolfe, Solicitor, a former President

of the Incorporated Law Society.

OBITUARY

MR. JAMES W. LANE, Solicitor, died at his residence,

i Warwick Terrace, Leeson Park, Dublin, on 8th

February, 1947.

Mr. Lane served his apprenticeship to Mr. Patrick

J. Masterson, Dublin, was admitted

in Hilary

Sittings, 1926, and practised at n St. Stephen's

Green, Dublin, as senior partner in the firm of

James W. Lane & Co.

MR. JOHN BRISTOW, Solicitor, died at Greenview,

Dunmanway, Co. Antrim, on 8th February, 1947.

Mr. Bristow was admitted a Solicitor in Trinity

Sittings, 1888, and practised as a member of the

firm of L'Estrange & Brett, at 9 Chichester Street,

Belfast.

MR. EUGENE F. COLLINS, Solicitor, died at his

residence, Linden, Leinster Road, West, Dublin, on

27th February, 1947.

Mr. Collins served his apprenticeship to the late

Jeremiah C. Blake, Cork, was admitted a Solicitor

in Easter Sittings, 1892, and practised as senior

partner in the firm of E. F. Collins & Son, at 19

Eustace Street, Dublin. He was a member of the

Council of the Society from 1929 to 1944, and was

Vice-President for the year 1934-35.

MR. CHARLES J. SPAIN, Solicitor, died at Roscrea,

on ist March, 1947.

Mr. Spain was admitted in Trinity Sittings, 1890,

and practised at Roscrea.

MR. JOHN WRAY, Solicitor, died at his residence,

The Mall, Rameltdn, Co. Donegal, on ist March,

1947.

Mr. Wray served his apprenticeship with the late

Mr. John Mackey, Ramelton, was admitted

in

Trinity Sittings, 1902, and practised at Ramelton.

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