asked the Minister for Justice if he has received any representations for the adjustment of auctioneers' fees to a sliding scale basis; and, if so, what action he proposes to take.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Auctioneers' Fees.
41.
I have myself advocated this in public recently as one possible way, though not the only or necessarily the best way, of meeting what I believe to be reasonable public criticism of the present 5 per cent of fees which, except in certain private treaty sales, have to be paid by the purchaser, who has no say in the arrangement.
An alternative modification that would seem to me to be equitable would be that auctioneers' fees here should be paid by the vendor, as seems to be the case in most countries.
I should welcome a decision by auctioneers to take the initiative in modifying the present system and I again express the hope that they will give serious and early consideration to doing so.
What is the difference between the seller and the buyer paying it? The person who is buying it works out the price including the auctioneer's fees. What is the difference?
There is a very considerable difference inasmuch as the vendor is in a position to make a bargain with the auctioneer; the purchaser is faced with a fait accompli and can do nothing about it.