THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 5, 1996 TAG: 9608020006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 34 lines
Regarding ``Panel studies homebuyers' need for lawyers'' (news, July 26):
Not surprisingly, the lawyers want authority, absolute authority no less, without any responsibility. The sad fact is that while a closing attorney may well provide a service, he or she is just as likely to provide nothing, or worse. In the latter case, there is no recourse except to pay for, in addition to the lawyer's fee, title insurance, which will not cover incompetent attorneys. Then, of course, you must hire another lawyer to unscramble the first lawyer's work, or lack thereof.
If the lawyers want to do closings, they should have confidence in their trade: They should include title insurance in their fee. If they do their job, the overwhelming odds are that the insurance will not be tapped.
Further, the lawyers should guarantee/warranty their work to protect clients from shabby legal/secretarial work or work/title searches not performed. After all, this same standard is applied to the roofer, the plumber and all reputable craftsmen. Are the lawyers not reputable or are they not craftsmen or are they above the standards set for the rest of us?
A lawyer will beg to sue a roofer or a plumber who performs shabby work, but how often is a lawyer held accountable for his own lack of expertise or performance?
Sad to say, the lawyer-controlled real-estate closing as it now exists is simply a clever little attorney-owned cash cow. The lawyers are not likely to give it up without a lot of whining, circuitous verbiage. Maybe these guys ought to be politicians!
BOB H. VENNER
Virginia Beach, July 26, 1996 by CNB