News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
Early-bird entry for The British Conveyancing Awards, which is run by Today’s Conveyancer and sponsored by Dye & Durham, has been extended to 17th December. Firms and suppliers wishing to enter this year’s event now
Two leading MPs have called for an official investigation into a cyber attack on conveyancing platform, Simplify Group, as home movers, conveyancers and agents remain at a standstill. MPs Bob Blackman and Brendan Clarke said
As an exceptionally busy 2021 draws to a close, property portal Rightmove says it expects a closer to normal, though still busy, market in 2022. The good news for conveyancers is that the current record
The Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) has announced that Canadian group Dye & Durham must act to address concerns that the acquisition of tmgroup in July 2021 could result in “a substantial lessening of competition
The Law Society of England and Wales has issued a response to London-based thinktank Chatham House’s recent report criticising the UK’s anti-money laundering (AML) laws. The report states that un-policed and often unenforceable anti-corruption laws
Halifax’s latest Price Index for November affirms recent industry reports around rising house prices and stock shortages. The report reveals that house prices have risen for a fifth straight month, with growth now at a
The Legal Services Board (LSB) says it finds the legal profession is “out of step compared with other professions”, and that greater focus on assessing and understanding levels of competence is required. To address this,
The Government has announced that new homes are to be built on derelict sites as part of an initiative to develop brownfield land and regenerate communities. The Brownfield Land Release Fund announced by the Department
The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, used its recent Annual Conference “The Conveyancing Revolution – Survival & Success in the Pandemic World” to outline a number of process improvements,
Housing minister Michael Gove has announced to Parliament that he will soon reveal a series of measures to tackle the cladding scandal which is currently affecting around 1.2 million leaseholders across the country. Amongst the
Gerry Walsh has been appointed as the new interim CEO of the Law Society of England and Wales. Born in Northern Ireland, Gerry has spent most of his working life in England, France, Poland and
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