Ian Floyed: In memoriam
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Ian Floyed, a titan of the property industry who founded MyHomeMove – which evolved into Simplify and is now the largest conveyancing firm in the UK – amongst other achievements. As well as being a successful businessman, Ian – born in London, 1953 – […]
Law Society calls for action on building safety legislation and UK Finance Handbook
The Law Society of England and Wales has set out the changes it sees as necessary with regards to the UK Finance Handbook and building safety legislation. Conveyancers have been battling new rules – chiefly the “car crash” Building Safety Act – which were introduced in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster. The impact […]
Property transactions 9% lower compared with same period last year, data reveals
New data from HM Revenue & Customs has revealed the number of UK residential property transactions in June 2023 was 9% lower than the same month in 2022. The 94,690 transactions seen last month was 28% higher than the previous month of May 2023 on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. Looking at the same data on […]
Homes accountable to probate may receive year’s council tax exemption
The UK government is considering temporarily exempting properties awaiting probate from the increase in the council tax surcharge for vacant or second homes in England, as reported by STEP. The surcharges were first introduced in England in 2013 and then increased in 2018 – when the premium tax rate was increased to 100% for houses […]
Treasury launches consultation on AML supervision reform
HM Treasury has launched a consultation setting out four possible models for AML supervision with potential implications for sales and letting agents, property auctioneers, and high-value dealers across the UK. The proposals are in line with the UK Government’s commitment within the Economic Crime Plan 2023-2026 and they are now seeking views on the potential […]
Survey: The importance of standards in searches
There are an ever-growing number of searches becoming available within the conveyancing process which are covering a greater range of subject matters. When balanced against all of the other tasks required to advise clients on the most expensive purchase of their lives, are the standards that searches are produced to given due consideration? How does […]
Hoowla: First to Seamlessly Integrate Land Registry’s Estimated Completion Date
At Hoowla HQ, we’re thrilled to announce a game-changing development that is set to revolutionise the conveyancing experience for professionals. Introducing our integration with the Land Registry’s Estimated Completion Date (ECD) – a cutting-edge feature that empowers conveyancers to access transaction completion information seamlessly within the Hoowla Case Management System, taking the conveyancing process to […]
Success of planning application appeals falls to lowest level in five years
New data has revealed that the proportion of planning applications being approved after appeal, having initially been rejected, sat at just 18% in 2022, the lowest level seen in the last five years. Searchland, development site sourcing specialists, analysed the number of planning applications submitted on an annual basis, what proportion were initially rejected before […]
Property developers report increases in Suspicious Activity Reports
The flow of dirty money into property development firms is said to be increasing, with more than a third (40%) reporting a rise in the number of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) they have submitted over the past six months, new data shows. The “concerning” figures are revealed in a comprehensive new survey of compliance decision-makers […]
Half of law firms missing out on talent by not considering all university backgrounds, study finds
New research has found that more than half of law firms could miss out on 96% of talent entering the legal sector – if they don’t consider all university backgrounds. A study in April revealed that just over half of hiring managers within law firms would only consider graduates from the “top eight” universities – […]
