Gerry Fitzjohn appointed Board Chairman of The Property Ombudsman
After thirteen successful years with The Property Ombudsman (TPO), twelve years as Board Chairman of TPO, Bill McClintock will be officially standing down on 1st January 2016, and Gerry Fitzjohn, currently Vice Chairman of the Board, has been appointed to take up the position. Bill, who has over 50 years’ experience in estate agency, joined […]
Conveyancing Association to hold inaugural Conference in partnership with Modern Law
The major issues facing conveyancers will be discussed at the inaugural Conveyancing Association Conference to be held on 3rd December at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea F.C. The conference will draw upon a wealth of conveyancing expertise to offer delegates practical help and guidance from leading experts, in tackling some of the most challenging issues facing the […]
Role of 95% LTV mortgages almost doubles under ‘Help to Buy 2’
95% loan-to-value (LTV) loans made up £3.43 of every £100 of mortgage lending since the Government’s guarantee scheme launched, up from £1.77 in the previous 18 months First time buyer lending grew by almost a third during the first half of ‘Help to Buy 2’ However first time buyer and 95% LTV lending activity fell […]
Stay aware of flood risk this winter
Today’s breaking news once again brings the threat of flood to the forefront of concerns for home-owners this winter, as reports suggest that the UK is set to face a winter that will rival the major storms of 2013, with the Met Office’s warning of an expected foot and a half of rain over the […]
InfoTrack announce new integration with LEAP to aid conveyancing efficiencies
LEAP and InfoTrack have announced an integration partnership. Solicitors using LEAP’s case management software (CMS) are now able to seamlessly carry out Land Registry Searches, Conveyancing Searches, SDLT Submissions and AP1 Transfers all within the one system via the InfoTrack system. LEAP, lead event sponsor of the recent LawBizTech technology and educational conference, provides their […]
SearchFlow appoints a new Head of Development
Conveyancing Search Provider, SearchFlow, which is part of dmgi::land&property, has appointed Andrew Stevens as Head of Development. Having previously worked as Head of Development at Landmark Information Group and Head of R&D at Sage UK, Andrew is highly experienced in developing, building and leading products across multiple R&D areas in the UK and Europe. With […]
Good things come to those who wait
Dr Jan Peters, from the Department of Systems Neuroscience at the University Medical Centre in Hamburg, said: “Humans normally prefer larger over smaller rewards, but this situation can change when the larger rewards are associated with delays. Although there is no doubt that humans discount the value of rewards over time, in general, individuals exhibit […]
SRA championing innovation in the legal sector
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has today (9th November) unveiled a new initiative to support legal services firms that want to innovate and grow their business in creative ways. ‘SRA Innovate‘ provides online guidance and support to solicitors and law firms who are looking at new ways to serve their clients and run their businesses. […]
What you need to know about first registrations
Land Registry, from 7th September 2015, has changed the documents required to be delivered when a customer applies for first registration. Land or property must be registered for the first time if it is unregistered when a person takes ownership or mortgages it. Land Registry has sought to bring the requirements for first applications nearer […]
Is there a hole in your due diligence checks for homebuyers?
Sinkholes are an ever present issue, and an area of risk that solicitors and conveyancers should be highlighting to their home-buying clients. Last month another large sinkhole emerged in a residential cul-de-sac in St Albans. The 12 metre diameter hole, which was 10 metres deep, woke residents in the middle of the night and ruined […]
SLC/BLG Conference Availability Limited
Record attendance once again but still time to book With under two weeks to go to the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC)/ Bold Legal Group (BLG) Conference in Derby, it is not too late to book a place. The conference is unique in that it is organised by conveyancers for conveyancers and the agenda has […]
Land Registry LLC National Conference 2015
Land Registry held the first Local Land Charges (LLC) National Conference this week on Wednesday 4th November at the Albert Hall Conference Centre in Nottingham. The purpose of the day was to ensure the local authority and private search company delegates were provided with information on how Land Registry are intending to work with the […]
An evening with Brandon Lewis MP
On Thursday 22nd October, Conveyancing Data Services were delighted to welcome the Minister for Housing and Planning, Brandon Lewis MP, as a guest at an evening event at the Victory Services Club. Brandon spoke to the assorted guests from the property industry about Government plans to build hundreds of thousands of new properties to meet […]
House prices rising faster than ever after an 8 month slowdown
Pace of annual house price growth has risen for the past two months; up from 5.2% to 5.5% in the last month Smaller homes prices are rising faster than ever – all because of head to head competition between first-time buyers and buy-to-let investors London is the hotspot this month; up 1.8% in the past […]
Prized patch: protecting London property investment in the race for space
Our capital city is continually changing with cranes a seemingly permanent feature on the moving skyline. Paul Addison, Managing Director of DevAssist, asks, “How can home buyers and investors guard against unwanted development or disruption that could affect their investment?” The stakes are high when it comes to property investment, especially in London, but so […]
King of the castle
November 5th is Guy Fawkes night (bonfire night). It is the very British tradition of celebrating the House of Parliament remaining intact after a plot to demolish them. We build a bonfire, throw a dummy on top (a Guy) and while we watch him burn fireworks are lit, representing the explosives that never got used. […]
What are the environmental impacts associated with agricultural land uses in the UK?
This is the first instalment in a series of blog posts which will identify and evaluate the typical environmental impacts associated with day to day farm processes. To sheep dip or not to sheep dip? There are numerous environmental impacts arising from farming processes. These impacts include effects to water bodies, humans and economic costs. […]
More action is a necessity when dealing with complaints
Additional action must be taken by all regulated law firms to be able to comply with an EU Directive on Consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) that was brought in on 1st October The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) was formerly the body all clients were directed to file a complaint, however new enforcements require additional information. As […]
OneSearch Direct release the first search report with 24-hour turnaround
OneSearch Direct, the UK’s largest local search data company, has developed a solution for faster search results by creating a new report that can be returned within 24-hours, in most instances. Utilising OneSearch datasets, the OneSearch Express report is the first of its kind in the industry. As the only search company to hold a […]
Interview with Richard Hugo-Hamman, Executive Chairman of LEAP
Richard Hugo-Hamman is Executive Chairman of LEAP – the biggest software provider to the conveyancing industry in Australia. LEAP launched in the UK in October last year so Today’s Conveyancer caught up with Richard to find out how it’s going…. What’s your background Richard and how long have you been with LEAP? “I was a […]
