SRA warn on SDLT avoidance schemes.
The SRA has issued a warning notice to solicitors who are or who may be considering getting involved with stamp duty land tax avoidance schemes. The warning which does not form part of the Code of Conduct may be taken into regard when the SRA exercises its regulatory functions. The warning reminds solicitors of the […]
Localism Act prompts Search Code review
With the final death of Home Information Packs by the revocation of parts of the Housing Act 2004 CoPSO and the PCCB have also lost the statutory framework for searches that previously existed. The Localism Act which repealed parts of the Housing Act has resulted in a review of the Search Code. The Council of […]
Jordan's launch new range of environmental searches
Jordan’s the conveyancing search provider have issued a press release indicating that they have launched a new range of environmental reports. The release is covered in full below. More than ten years on from the launch of environmental reports into the conveyancing market what impact has Part IIA actually had? What is being changed? And […]
Move With Us appoints two new directors aiming for growth
Move With Us the Cambridgeshire based property services business has appointed two new directors to help manage its growth. The business runs a network of estate agency businesses throughout the UK and supplies a broad range of services (including conveyancing panel management) to those estate agents and home movers. The two appointments point to an […]
Myhomemove steps up its online SEO
Whilst we might be a little late in spotting this we still think this story underlines how much the conveyancing market is changing. We all know that the internet is becoming increasingly important in our purchasing decisions. Whether that is actually purchasing on-line or just helping us decide whether a business is trustworthy it is […]
Telegraph “Land Registry civil servants take four months to find best way to open mail”
In a strongly worded article Andrew Hough of The Telegraph last week commented on a “tax payer funded” four month review that Land Registry instigated into post opening. The Telegraph stated “On Thursday night, the department was accused of wasting public money on a futile exercise after it emerged that no changes had in fact […]
Victor Olowe leaves CLC
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has posted an announcement on its website that their CEO of the last five years, Victor Olowe, has decided to “seek new challenges” and has left the organisation. The change is effective from the end of February but, with leave commitments, he served his last day in the office on […]
Village green time limits
A recent Court of Appeal case — Leeds Group plc v Leeds City Council — highlights the need for landowners to be extra vigilant where unauthorised third party recreational use of their land is concerned. Before 30 January 2001, anyone seeking to register land as a village green had to be predominantly from an administrative […]
Lloyds Tsb Bank Plc v Markandan & Uddin (a firm) [2012] EWCA Civ 65 (09 February 2012)
INTRODUCTION Solicitor and partner Mr Anis Waiz of Mohindra Maini LLP continues his critical review of current case law. This important case arose from a mortgage fraud and facts which are all too familiar to lenders and solicitors. There are a number of key issues as to completion and breach of trust in the judgment […]
Moving trends report shows South West is most popular UK destination
Reallymoving.com have released their annual Migration Monitor, a study of over 60,000 home movers in the UK. The report aims to highlight moving trends in postcode regions, residents moving in or out of the area, and shows the regions where residents “voted with their feet”. The report shows many residents chose to move away from […]
Stamp duty rush boosts mortgage market activity
A recent report from Connells shows that demand from first-time buyers looking to beat the end of the stamp duty holiday bolstered mortgage market activity in January. The total number of residential valuations conducted during January increased with 43% more valuations than a year ago. However, this represented a slight decline of 15% on a […]
Licensed Conveyancers consult on lender panel solution
Following an initial preview of its lender panel proposition (SLC Quality Assured) back in November 2011, the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) has launched a consultation process. The consultation will invite Licensed Conveyancers to provide their individual feedback on the solution currently proposed, allowing them to help shape this vital scheme, before it is launched […]
Fridaysmove HSBC marketing guarantee
Fridaysmove the online conveyancing provider has developed a novel guarantee to ensure it doesn’t lose clients to HSBC’s own joint representation panel. In a recent addition to their web pages Tony Lillystone their Legal Manager writes; “Home buyers in the UK may have read the recent media storm that has erupted from the recent HSBC […]
Changes to the way DX charges
The DX service is an integral part of many solicitors firms, allowing for a secure and efficient postal system. It is the leading postal supplier to the legal profession. For several years the DX has used a weight monitoring system in order to calculate the subscription costs to each customer. In a move that will […]
How French Conveyancing differs from English Conveyancing
Please note that property law is a complex subject and you should not rely on these notes without professional advice on the facts of your case. Anyone who has purchased a property in England will be familiar with the procedures. The conveyancing solicitor makes enquiries of the seller’s solicitor about the property usually with standard […]
Changes at the top for myhomemove
Myhomemove have appointed Doug Crawford, Personal Touch Chief Executive, as the new Chief Executive of myhomemove, replacing outgoing Chief Executive, Ian Floyed, joining the conveyancing and panel management provider in April. Crawford joined Personal Touch in March 2010, from Absolute Invoice Finance, part of Aldermore Bank. Following Crawford’s appointment, current Chief Executive, Ian Floyed, will […]
ABI will not renew statement of principles for flood insurance
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has told the government that it will not renew the Statement of Principles for flood insurance, according to Insurance Age. On the same day MPs called on the government to “take responsibility” for flood protection. Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, Margaret Hodge MP, warned that no one […]
HMOs to be licensed under new rules
A citywide licensing scheme has been launched in Oxford, the first in the UK, where landlords are now required to register a House in Multiple Occupation whether it is small or large, according to Landlord Zone. Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) are so called if you have at least three tenants, forming more than […]
Buy to let mortgages up by 84,000
Buy to let mortgages increased by 84,000 in 2011, according to recent data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The last quarter of 2011 saw almost 35,000 buy to let mortgages advanced totalling £4 billion, over 15,000 of which were remortgage advances. The figures are almost identical to volumes for the third […]
Countrywide comment on the EHS Headline Report published today
The Department for Communities and Local Government published their English Housing Survey (EHS) Headline Report 2010-11 today. The report shows a downward trend in owner occupiers with just 66 per cent of households being owner occupied; 2009-10 saw owner occupation at 67 per cent. An estimated 21.9 million households in England live in private accommodation, […]
