Index Property Information Invites Law Firms to Discover More About Automation of Risk & Third-Party Data at Law Society AML & Financial Crime Conference
Index Property Information, a sponsor of the Law Society AML & Financial Crime online conference on 21 & 22 September 2021, is inviting small and medium sized law firms to discover more about Automation of Risk and Third-Party Data at a virtual workshop on day two of the event. Kate Bould, Director of Index West […]
Regulator and Landfill Operator told to Improve in Key Judgement
Campaigners, Stop the Stink, have won their High Court case against the Environment Agency (EA) and Walley Quarry Ltd in Silverdale near Newcastle-under-Lyme, proving it to be a source of noxious gases including hydrogen sulphide (H2S) that has directly harmed the local community. The Judge, Mr Justice Fordham ruled that the gases had the potential […]
The rise of cyber-criminal threat for law firms since Covid-19
The global coronavirus pandemic, and the rise in people working from home, has unfortunately provoked a growth in cyber-crime. The UK Government estimates that the cost of cyber-crime is £27bn per annum. The legal sector handles sensitive data and large financial transactions, which makes it an attractive target for cyber criminals, who are constantly looking […]
LSB to set out plans for greater transparency for consumers
Today, the Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consultation on a draft statutory statement of policy on empowering consumers. Developed following engagement with the legal services regulators and others across the sector, it outlines how the regulators should ensure that people and small businesses who need legal advice have the information they need to shop […]
Landmark transaction completed using “Qualified Electronic Signature”
Hugh James has, this week, completed the UK’s first-ever property deal using the revolutionary new Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), which was recently approved by HM Land Registry. The landmark transaction forms part of a national Land Registry pilot, to test the new QES process, which has been described as a “gamechanger” in signing documents. Whilst […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer; 20th September 2021
I have seen posts on LinkedIn and other forums this week about how solicitors and estate agents should work together . You would think that would be the simplest thing to do; we both want the same outcome which is for the seller to sell and the buyer to buy! But experience shows that this […]
Coal and non-coal risks now assessed in Terrafirma’s CON29M
Have you ever wondered what the ‘M’ in ‘CON29M’ stands for? If you said mining, you’d be right. However, you’d be forgiven for being confused as until now, the CON29M report has only covered mining assessment from a single mineral – coal. Ground risk specialists Terrafirma, who provide mining and natural ground hazard reports to […]
Conveyancing pipelines remain strong into Autumn
August saw an anticipated fall in the number of properties sold per estate agency branch as the SDLT holiday comes to a close at the end of August. But buyer demand and conveyancing pipelines remain strong into the Autumn as the property market hurdles the final SDLT cliff edge on 30th September. Figures from NAEA […]
Planning reforms stall amid political manoeuvring
Just days before the ousting of the latest housing secretary Robert Jenrick, proposals to overhaul planning laws were quietly scrapped in what is thought to be a political move following Tory by-election losses to the Liberal Democrats in June. The proposals were part of the government’s “Project Speed”, which aimed to modernise and simplify the […]
HMLR Practice Guide updates
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has published details of changes to several Practice Guides in its latest update. Overseas companies and limited liability partnerships (PG78) This guide deals with the registration requirements for overseas companies, in particular the requirements when they differ from those for UK companies. The guide also includes some information about overseas limited […]
Was I naïve?
Back in February I was bright eyed and bushy tailed, I had made the decision to be a master of my own destiny and set up a CLC regulated law firm. I shared an article with you back in May. Little did I know or appreciate the turbulent time ahead. I didn’t receive my insurance […]
How to survive September: Top tips for conveyancers
There are hundreds of articles out there about burnout, how to notice the signs and stop what you’re doing when you’ve overdone it. As conveyancers, we know our current workload will remain full on for the next few weeks (let’s not sugarcoat it), and many of us are not about to take the amount of […]
Overseas investments in regional office space soars
Investments in offices outside the capital for the first half of this year hit £3.58bn – 18 per cent above the long-term average for the first half of this year, Savills research reveals. Overseas investors accounted for two-thirds of the £3.58bn of investments from January to June 2021 – 38 per cent above the five-year […]
Are conveyancers losing money due to an outdated onboarding process?
Business leaders significantly underestimate how much inefficiency is costing them. It’s too easy to ignore the bigger picture and stick with an “it’s not perfect, but it works” attitude. But what if fixing that imperfect process unlocked 15% more capacity for you to take on extra clients without increasing your workforce? What would that look […]
Right to Build legislation being “subverted” by local councils, report finds
An independent report on custom and self-build housing conducted by MP Richard Bacon has found that some local councils have been “subverting” legislation that is designed to encourage self-built homes. The custom and self build housing report was initiated to examine the shortcomings of Right to Build legislation, including its failure to achieve its aim […]
Conveyancing Information Executive whitepaper provides first practical view of industry-wide UPRN adoption
The Conveyancing Information Executive (CIE) has today published a detailed whitepaper, ‘Property Passports: the role of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs)’, which addresses the practical challenges of transitioning the property industry to universally using UPRNs, to help improve the property transaction process. Chris Loaring, a spokesperson for the Conveyancing Information Executive said, “It is commonly […]
Can conveyancers and agents work together better?
The ESTAs returns in October with the relationship between estate agents and conveyancers under the microscope. The unprecedented activity in the property market over the last 18 months has highlighted the relationship between agents and conveyancers; the average time for a sale to complete is longer than it has ever been and abortive transaction numbers […]
Autumn housing market will see a “settling” after “extraordinary” growth
The Autumn housing market will see a settling of the extraordinary growth seen so far this year but demand will remain strong as supply issues continue into the Winter months according to the August reallymoving House Price Forecast. The forecast reports conveyancing quote volumes returned to more normal levels for the time of year last […]
Are we just paying lip service to positive change in the property industry?
[The impact of covid-19 has been felt across the world, but the full extent to which this has actually moved the dial on bringing much-needed change to the property transaction has yet to be seen. This debate will be at the heart of tmgroup and mio’s Autumn tm:tv series, as a diverse panel of industry […]
David Kempster joins Groundsure as Marketing Director
Groundsure is pleased to announce that David Kempster has been appointed as Marketing Director. Joining the Executive Team, he will be responsible for developing and executing the strategy for the brand, communications and engagement with its searches and insights markets. David is a well-known environmental and legal services marketer, with many years’ experience developing and […]
