News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
Figures published by HM Treasury reveal that the Government’s flagship mortgage guarantee scheme for borrowers with small deposits has helped just 666 first time buyers. Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, first introduced the scheme back in March
HM Land Registry has published details of changes to Practice Guide 52. Easements claimed by prescription (PG52) This guide gives advice on: acquiring easements by prescription how easements operate when no register entries are made
The British Conveyancing Awards is delighted to announce that Dye & Durham will be the headline sponsor for the 2022 ceremony. Launched by Today’s Conveyancer in 2021 to recognise the incredible work of the industry
The UK Government has set out further plans to create a modern, simple and effective tax system during its Tax Administration and Maintenance Day that took place this week, including potential changes to stamp duty
End of year forecasts suggest further price increases, but greater barriers to home ownership in 2022. The latest Reallymoving House Price Forecast reveals that small monthly price falls in November (-0.1%) and December (-1.1%) will
The Law society has issued a response to the Legal Services Board (LSB) consultation on empowering consumers, saying that it must give frontline regulators room to understand consumer engagement and the challenges facing the public.
As the last few weeks have highlighted the impact that technology has in conveyancing, I thought it might be interesting to share the trials and tribulations of a law firm that has bet its existence
A woman almost lost her home to a fraudster after discovering a Government department had granted lasting power of attorney of her affairs to a complete stranger. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, the homeowner learnt
LMS’s latest Monthly Remortgage Snapshot shows growth in market activity through October 2021, whereas mortgage approvals have declined according to the Bank of England. The LMS report reveals that remortgage instructions increased by 35% in
Search Acumen, the property data insight and technology provider, has issued the latest edition of its quarterly Conveyancing Market Tracker for Q3 2021, revealing that the number of active conveyancing firms has recovered to pre-pandemic
Latest round takes total raised by Coadjute to £10m. Additional US investors involved as firm eyes international market and former Apple Executive joins Board. Coadjute, the blockchain network for the UK property market that aims
New research from property website Zoopla indicates that this year’s property market is set to become the busiest for 14 years. Data shows that one in 16 homes will change hands by the end of
The Leasehold Reform Bill has been backed by MPs, passing its first stage in the Commons on Monday. The bill was introduced to protect owners within shared buildings following a series of investigations and voicing
Following the announcement that The British Conveyancing Awards, hosted by Today’s Conveyancer would return in 2022, early bird entries are now open. The British Conveyancing Awards 2022 will be a hybrid event held on 15th
According to a report by Hampton International, an increase in the value of refunds on the stamp duty surcharge, aimed at second home and buy-to-let investors, indicates that more is now being paid by those
NAEA Propertymark has issued its October Housing Report, prompting fears that the market is “unsustainable“. The latest report shows that the number of available properties per branch has decreased from 23 in September to 21,
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) leaders have commented they have no plans to reform the indemnity insurance market. Delegates at the SRA’s recent compliance conference raised the issue of increasing premiums, saying that price hikes will
Unique property reference numbers (UPRNs) have the potential to be a game changing innovation in the property sector according to the Conveyancing Information Executive, and partners including Ordnance Survey, major search providers Groundsure and Landmark,
Following customer feedback HMLR has now published an updated version 2 of its form RXC. Form RXC is a new way to provide a consent or certificate to comply with a restriction in the register
The Dispute Service has been selected as the New Homes Ombudsman after it won a competitive six-month tendering process. The New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) has announced that The Dispute Service will act as the
The SRA has announced proposals to end the provision of post six-year run-off cover (PSYROC), because the protection is thought to be disproportionately expensive. If effective, this means that the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF), which
Mitigating risk in your conveyancing business was on the agenda at the latest Today’s Conveyancer industry roundtable. Welcoming Marc Rowson of Lockton Companies LLP and Hannah Mackinlay of SDLT Compass, the discussion centred on the
New government legislation has been introduced to protect people’s smart devices from being hacked. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will give ministers new powers to bring in tougher security standards for device makers,
Lincoln and other areas in the Midlands and North have been dubbed hotspots for buyers looking to move out of bigger cities such as London, due to the introduction of flexible working by many employers
A new report published by the think-tank Localis reveals that almost 200 planning permissions have been granted on floodplain land in 2021 so far, for more than 5000 new homes in high-risk local authorities across
New legislation announced by Boris Johnson will require new homes and buildings, such as supermarkets and workplaces, to install electric vehicle charge points from next year. Under the new regulations up to 145,000 extra charge
Access Legal, the Law technology specialist, has announced the acquisition of the Legal Bricks group of companies, a provider of conveyancing searches and property related services to the legal sector. Part of The Access Group,
The latest figures released by HMRC appears to show a cooling of the housing market in England and Wales. Transaction figures for October 2021 show provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of 85,090 home moves, 30% lower
HMRC figures highlight the impact of the SDLT holiday with a £4.1bn increase in Stamp Duty receipts in the six months from April to October 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. And to
Conveyancing trade and industry bodies The Conveyancing Association, The Law Society, CILEX, and the Society of Licenced Conveyancers have thrown their weight behind new versions of LPE1, LPE2 and FME1 forms which are to be
UPDATED 22/11/2021 The Council for Licensed Conveyancers have provided a brief update on progress at Simplify since it confirmed on 17th November it had moved to exchange contracts on files that are ready to exchange
A consultation from the Payment Systems Regulator could see legislation introduced forcing banks to refund those affected by authorised push payment (APP) fraud. APP fraud is typically perpetrated by criminals impersonating trusted individuals and organisations