SRA sets out new approach to financial penalties
Safeguards proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to increase the transparency and accountability of its enforcement processes do not go far enough, the Law Society of England and Wales have said. Lubna Shuja, President of the Law Society, said: “The SRA’s internal fining powers increased from £2,000 to £25,000 in July this year for […]
HMLR practice guide updates: November 2022
HM Land Registry practice guide updates for November 2022 (PG26, PG14, PG9). Leases: determination (PG26) Page summary: How leases are determined and how this affects registered titles (practice guide 26). Change made: Section 8 has been amended to include another existing reason a lease may be forfeited. Charities: advice for applications sent to HM Land […]
Land Registry votes for strike action
HM Land Registry (HMLR) is among the 125 government departments that have this week voted for strike action amidst ongoing disputes over pay, pensions, jobs, and redundancy terms. Coordinated by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), those departments whose ballots surpassed 50% in favour of strike action are set to stage walkouts unless ministers […]
“Harrowing” market a nightmare for first-time buyers, says leading lender
New research has suggested the current conditions within the market have left the homeownership dreams of many aspiring first-time buyers “in tatters”. Specifically, Leeds Building Society’s research, which was conducted in the aftermath of the Truss government’s mini-budget, suggested two thirds of those planning to buy in the next five years have delayed their purchase […]
Survey: What is the picture with regards to instructions?
The economic climate is beginning to take its hold on the property market – that much is apparent. But to what extent is this already impacting conveyancing instructions? Of course, instructions are not a reflection of the increasingly precarious situation now faced following September’s mini-budget and the recent succession of significant interest rate hikes. Yet, […]
Research suggests significant dip in transactions has already arrived
New research has claimed UK residential property transaction volumes fell by an average of 24% over the last six months compared to the previous six-month period, with some regions seeing a drop of as much as 32.5%. This comes as Savills recently predicted a 28% nosedive in transactions for 2023 from pre-pandemic levels. This piece […]
Creating pathways for conveyancing’s Leaders of Tomorrow
How small and mid-sized firms can support the growth of a more diverse workforce To say that a career in law has historically attracted financially affluent white students (mainly male, but not exclusively), would not be a controversial statement. But times are changing and it’s fair to say that in the last 20 years, much […]
How to write a successful awards submission
Awards are an incredibly important part of recognising excellence and endeavour in industry. Alongside being recognised by your peers, awards serve to increase your profile, reinforce your reputation and can be an effective part of your overall marketing strategy in making both your professional and local communities aware of what sets you apart from your […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 14th November 2022
I have been thinking whether there is any other item we buy which has a similar process to buying a house. For example, take a tin of beans. This is often cited when saying, “Well, buying a house is not like buying a tin of beans.” Well, imagine if buying a tin of beans was […]
Changes now – Supreme Court rules on drop-in planning applications
Making variations to planning permissions as a scheme evolves is rarely a straightforward process, particularly where the changes go beyond the scope of non-material or minor material amendments. One tool that has been used extensively to achieve variations is the “drop-in” planning application where a new consent is granted for an area that overlaps with […]
Conveyancers self-certifying satisfaction of Land Registry Restrictions?
As the Deputy Chair and proud Board Member of the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC), I was really interested to listen to Simon Hayes (Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar) present at the SLC Conference on the 2nd November 2022. The honest nature of the update received during the presentation wherein Simon Hayes confirmed that […]
