SDLT holiday shouldn't just be stopped dead

Following on from the comment from the Treasury which outlined the government’s plans to not extend the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday, calls have now been made for the holiday to not just stop

Standardised MP response gives no indication for SDLT extension

The Treasury has announced that there will be no extension to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday, with the deadline looming for 31 March 2021. Petitions began to be created imploring the government to

Don't forget to take time to recharge over the festive period

2020 has been a year like no other, and everyone has had a really tough year. The conveyancing sector is one of the legal arms that has been under a lot of pressure to deliver

Agents are reminded to be wary of fraudulent conveyancing

Property fraud is one of the more lucrative ways a fraudster can earn large sums of money. In these increasingly busy times, the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) have released a warning to agents about this

CMA praises advancements in legal sector, but more can be done

Today, 17 December, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) has published the findings of its review of the legal services in England and Wales. The review has found that the legal profession has made some positive

Lincolnshire mortgage broker fined £50,000

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined OSL Financial Consultancy Limited (OSL) in Lincolnshire £50,000 for illegally sending over 174,000 nuisance marketing texts. The offences happened between March and June 2020, as the company sought

Banks often blame customers for fraud issues

The Financial Ombudsman Service has revealed that there is a 36% rise in complaints with regards to how banks dealt with fraud and scams when compared to 2019. Last year, many banks and financial institutions

When legal representation falls short: study finds diversity is lacking in law firms

Diversity is a factor high on the list of any industry looking to ensure parity in their workforce and hiring practices. Nowhere should this be more the case than in the legal industry. Ensuring the

Law Society think moving now before SDLT deadline is 'longshot'

Solicitors’ leaders are urging consumers to have realistic expectations about achieving their dream move before the looming stamp duty holiday deadline. Many people are keen to conclude their sales and purchases prior to Christmas, while

Hackney Council offering partial land search

Following on from a cyber attack which disrupted their systems, Hackney Council have released a statement offering partial land searches. This isn’t great news for those who rely on the Local Authority for searches to

Should solicitors be forced to display prices on their websites?

Following on from Nigel Haddon’s interview, Jackie Emmerson Managing Director at Emmerson Solicitors has shared her views with Today’s Conveyancer about price transparency. The Solicitors Regulatory Authority determined that solicitors should be transparent in their

Send us your Christmas and festive pictures

According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Christmas 2020 is a time to be ‘jolly careful’, as we continue to battle the coronavirus. Here at Today’s Conveyancer we’d like to spread some Christmas cheer and share

Equity Release Council publishes Best Practice Guide for advisers

The Equity Release Council (the Council) has launched a Best Practice Guide to complement its Checklist for Advisers and support firms when discussing and documenting customer needs. The detailed guide has been produced by the

Today, LexisNexis has released the latest version of the Gross Legal Product index. Just as GDP measures a basket of goods and services that track the level of output in the overall economy, the Gross

Could a Flood Performance Certificate become compulsory?

Flood Re, which is a group of government and insurance industry representatives want to introduce a Flood Performance Certificate (FPC) for every home, similar to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is already a mandatory

Santander to block mortgage applications from overseas buyers

Brexit talks have slowly started to emerge in the national media over recent weeks as the UK’s transition period nears its end. Santander have now thrown their hat into the ring and have revealed that

Nationwide U-turn on Bank of Mum and Dad

Back in August we reported that Nationwide would be restricting the amount of money first-time buyers (FTBs) could be gifted by their parents, or the Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD). 2020 is seemingly a

Price Transparency; about as clear as mud

Following the SRA’s recent announcement that it is back on the case with pricing transparency Today’s Conveyancer caught up with pricing expert Nigel Haddon to talk about the do’s and don’ts of pricing, and what

Managing client expectations advice from Melanie Carroll

At the moment, the mini housing boom as a result of pent up demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday announced by the Government back in the

Couple lose life savings in housing transaction horror

In an article recently published by the Financial Reporter, it outlined the shocking reality which resulted in one couple losing their life savings, as their housing chain collapsed as a result of a mortgage broker

Movers and Shakers - 4 December 2020

Here at Today’s Conveyancer, we wanted to share with you the good news we’ve had within in the industry of professionals joining firms and those who have moved up the promotional ladder. This week we’ve

Huge house moving delays could leave thousands having to pay stamp duty

Thousands of homebuyers could unwittingly have to pay up to £15,000 when the stamp duty holiday ends because of huge delays in the conveyancing process, a lawyer has warned. The Chancellor’s stamp duty holiday –

Mortgage approvals at highest levels in over a decade

In the Bank of England’s Money and Credit report, it details that mortgage approvals are at a 13-year high, with an additional £4.3bn secured borrowing in October. Jeremy Leaf, former RICS residential chairman and a

Diversity is still a problem in the legal sector

Further calls for the legal sector to embrace further diversity have had a spot light shone on them in the Financial Times, as their legal correspondent Kate Beioley focused on the issue in one of

HMRC & ASA get tough on SDLT marketing

HMRC and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have joined forces to clamp down on misleading marketing as part of stamp duty and tax avoidance schemes. The Treasury released a statement, which said: “The joint enforcement

£27m Disposal of Conveyancing Alliance

ULS Technology plc, the provider of online platforms to support UK consumers moving home, announces that it has sold its wholly owned subsidiaries Conveyancing Alliance (Holdings) Limited and Conveyancing Alliance Limited (“CAL”) for a cash

Busy Christmas housing market means bumper filled New Year Q1

The first quarter of 2021 is set to record a property uplift, with 100,000 additional sales expected to complete before the end of March. As buyers rush to beat the stamp duty deadline, the increased

Safeguards failed enabling fraudulent transfer

Please note this story was also published on Legal Futures. The safeguards a conveyancing firm had in place with their bank failed, enabling a fraudster to transfer money from the firm’s client account. The firm

HMRC data shows property market still recovering due to lockdown

The latest data from HMRC has revealed that residential property transactions for the UK have increased in October 2020 compared both with September 2020 and October 2019. The increase in figures is thought to be

Help to Buy scheme applications open next month

Applications for the government’s revamped Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme are set to open on 16 December 2020. The scheme will run from April 20211 to 2023, and applies to new build only, enabling

Feel Good Friday: Aconveyancing

There have been lots of positive things happening across the sector this week, so we wanted to share these good vibes with you as part of our ‘Feel Good Friday’ news items. Here is a

Chancellor's Spending Review pledges money to housing sector

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak addressed the House of Commons this afternoon he began to outline the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the UK economy. In his address, he spoke about property taxes and

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