Month: July 2015

Much to the surprise of the insurance industry and many financial commentators, the summer budget has produced a rise in Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) from 6% to 9.5% effective from 1st November 2015. Heralded as a stealth tax by many commentators, the 60% rise in IPT will result in a firm paying a £50,000 professional […]Read More

This week, the conveyancing industry Matterhorn Challenge reached the £25,000.00 fundraising threshold, which is halfway to the £50,000.00 target! The threshold was reached as a result of leading search providers, Search Acumen, taking up a Gold Matterhorn Sponsorship Package. Director of Search Acumen, Andy Sommerville, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting and sponsoring the […]Read More

Pali have teamed up with Groundsure and are pleased to announce they can now offer all conveyancers practical information and advice in a free CPD Webinar – all from the comfort of your desk! The webinar is set to commence at 1pm on Thursday 20th August 2015, so you are welcome to enjoy your lunch […]Read More

Regret not doing my own conveyancing tbh. Hate leaving things in the hands of people who seem to work more slowly than me! — Ryan (@ryan_simmonds) July 30, 2015Read More

e-know.net, the leading provider of outsourced IT services in the legal sector has issued a warning to the industry against using unsecured emails. With an estimated £801,009,009 of funds being moved daily through the banks, and mortgage fraud occurring in 1 in 300 transactions according to Experian, it is no surprise that the industry is […]Read More

A recent report from Experian plc shows that Britain’s “aspiring homemakers” are breaking away from city centres and seeking residence towards the rural scenery. First time buyers are now said to be more likely to purchase a property in the Western Isles of Scotland rather than in an opulent suburb like Kensington or Chelsea. If […]Read More

In April 2015, a Surrey farmer lost his long-running battle with the planning authorities to protect a mock-Tudor castle which he had constructed behind huge bales of hay. Robert Fidler had built the four bedroom castle on Greenbelt land he owned since the 1970s at Honeycrocks Farm in Salfords, Surrey, while obscured by a blue […]Read More

Record low remortgage rates drive borrowers to withdraw highest ever amounts of equity, averaging £34,500 per remortgage borrower – 23% more than their original mortgage Two-thirds remortgage to take advantage of the competitive rates currently on offer Four-fifths of those remortgaging switched lenders Research from LMS has revealed that more than a third of borrowers […]Read More

You may recall my advice last year for a pain-resistant renewal. I hope that it helped you towards your least-troublesome Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) renewal of recent times. But time has a habit of passing, and when looking towards your next renewal there is insight to be gained from the last 12 months, and in […]Read More

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is the technique of drilling down into the earth and injecting fluid (a mixture of water, sand and toxic chemicals) into the ground, at a very high pressure, in order to fracture shale rocks to release the natural gas and oil inside and let it flow out to the head of a […]Read More

The CML lenders’ Handbook provides comprehensive instructions for any professional who is acting on behalf of lenders in residential conveyancing transactions. On 30th November 2015, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) will adjust part 2 of the Handbook, after the removal of the ability of an individual CML member lender to impose specific building insurance […]Read More

The June data shows an annual price increase of 5.4% which takes the average property value in England and Wales to £181,619 overtaking the previous peak of £180,983 in November 2007. Monthly house prices up 1.1% since May 2015. The regional data indicates that: The region with the most significant annual price increase is London […]Read More

Last week SearchFlow appointed Greg Bryce as Managing Director. In an exclusive interview he told Jane Common at Today’s Conveyancer why he’s excited about his new role and what he will bring to it…. How are you settling into your new job? “I’m very excited about it. I’m moving down to Kent, where our head […]Read More

Helping users to find reliable professionals in their area  Plentific & Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) today announced the launch of a new service – Find a Pro – which provides users with access to thousands of professionals and local tradesmen for home-related projects and services. Find a Pro, which will be available across Plentific.com, Zoopla […]Read More

A deal has been signed which will herald the start of a half a billion pound investment to deliver new homes and jobs in Hull. The deal was completed as work began on the first of 4,000 homes which will transform housing across a major city. Construction has started on 67 properties in East Hull […]Read More

Legal receptionists at telephone answering specialist Moneypenny are urging law firms to be sure they are prepared for the holiday season, as latest figures highlight the effect a Bank Holiday has on call figures. Looking back over data for Bank Holidays so far this year, the company has found that the average call spike the day […]Read More

Today’s Conveyancer reported last week that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has identified the way vulnerable customers are treated by law firms to be a key risk within their Risk Outlook report 2015/2016. This mirrors advice by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) who published an Occasional Paper on Vulnerable Customers in Financial Services in February […]Read More

On the 17th of September, Law Firm Services will be hosting the conveyancing conference and annual awards for the 7th year running. The conveyancing conference and awards will take place at the MK Stadium in Milton Keynes. The main conference will be held from 9.15am to 4.30pm and is worth a total of 5 CPD […]Read More

The conveyancing industry Matterhorn Challenge reached a key milestone this week, with a total of over £23,000.00 raised, of a target £50,000.00, for the Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice. Platinum Sponsorship from Conveyancing Data Services, together with funds from the cycling challenge from London to Brighton ensured that this benchmark was soundly beaten. Convey Law Managing […]Read More

Solicitors today face a range of challenges, including the ever present threat of negligence claims and rising PI premiums. An example in point is the recent case of a solicitor who was ordered to pay £1.8m in compensation for failing to inform their client of a nearby development. “Global Firm Negligent Over £25m Property Advice” […]Read More