News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
Home buyers are being warned about a spike in scams which have seen victims defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Law Society of England and Wales has joined forces with the National
Five identity service providers have committed to the new MyIdentity trust scheme to make home buying and selling in the UK a safe digital process. The five identity service providers are: Digidentity, Nuggets, OBiD, Thirdfort,
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has published details of the latest changes to its Practice Guides. Charging orders (PG76) This guide gives advice on the points to take into account when considering making an application for
September property transaction figures showed the anticipated spike in volume as the SDLT holiday came to close, but did not reach the peaks seen earlier in the year in March and June according to HMRC
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) and conveyancing case management systems expert Redbrick Solutions have become the latest leading organisations to back the Conveyancing Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation serving the conveyancing, legal and property industries.
Legal claims against property sellers relating to Japanese knotweed have risen sharply over the last twelve months, in part due to buyers and sellers rushing transactions through to benefit from stamp duty holiday savings,
A new report by Hamptons reveals a slowing buy-to-let market across England. Buy-to-let purchases increased by just 1% during the 15-month stamp duty holiday period, the report shows, taking the total amount of buy-to-let purchases
The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has announced the appointment of SDLT Compass as a new Affiliate member. SDLT Compass is a bespoke software solution which produces up-to-date Stamp
Changes to the money laundering regulations should focus on increasing the effectiveness of efforts to tackle money laundering through a more risk-based and proportionate approach, said the Law Society of England and Wales in response
The Environment Agency has issued a warning to the UK Government that climate change can only be tackled through greater adaptation to immediate risks, particularly in relation to flooding. In its third adaptation report submitted
An analysis of Land Registry figures has shown just how influential the Stamp Duty holiday was in stimulating demand at different property price points. HMLR figures show that across England and Wales as a whole,
Conveyancers may face a challenging start to 2022 as the number of properties coming to market has dropped below pre-pandemic figures, down by an average of 9% compared to July, August and September 2019. The
The newly announced Deposit Unlock scheme brought by a joint venture between the Home Builders Federation and the insurer Gallacher Re will help prospective housebuilders raise deposits and encourage lenders to be more flexible. Following
X-Press Legal Services has announced the arrival of new owner David Mermod for one of the largest franchise regions. Central region, which covers Nuneaton, Bedford, Telford, Shropshire, North West Leicestershire, Powys, Hereford, Coventry and Rugby
The Today’s Conveyancer podcast returns with an episode dedicated to de-mystifying blockchain. In this episode we introduce Dan Salmons, CEO of Blockchain technology provider Coadjute. Dan sets out to de-mystify what blockchain technology is, and
The price of property coming to market has surged past last month’s record and jumped by an average of 1.8% (+£5,983) this month according to Rightmove’s October House Price Index. With inflation threatening the continuing
A leading compliance specialist in the estate agency market has suggested that estate agents should be doing more to support efforts to complete customer due diligence and tackle money laundering. Compliance Officer for The Guild
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued new guidance to companies operating a remote or hybrid working model asking them to provide evidence that any lack of centralised location or remote working does not or
By the time this article is published, we will have got through the key 1st October renewal date for SRA regulated Firms, following the immensely difficult CLC renewal earlier in the summer. Overall the Market
The cost of Stamp Duty Land Tax to the average homebuyers has increased by 490% over the last 25 years. The analysis has been conducted by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, and
In a national survey of full or part-time employed people 9 in 10 workers (92%), who now increasingly divide their time between home and the office, would be willing to commute further to buy or
The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has today announced Lloyd Davies has decided to retire from his position of Operations Director and will not be standing as a Director
Buyers are starting to return to the UK housing market but have little choice of new properties in the short term, while sentiment indicates longer term stability in the housing market according to the latest
Following the Prime Minster’s conference pledge to put “beautiful homes on brownfield sites in places where homes make sense” the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have announced that thousands of new homes
Panic attacks, tinnitus, mood swings, brain fog, and extreme pain are just some of the many symptoms that can make it near-impossible for women to continue working when the menopause strikes. For many, this costs
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has urged the government to take urgent action to protect all those affected by the cladding scandal in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Board Member and former Chairman
A review completed by the Solicitors Regulations Authority into law firm anti-money laundering failures has identified a 40% increase in the number of potential AML breaches reported to the SRA, with the number one area
NatWest Bank has admitted to three charges relating to anti-money laundering failures. NatWest, the state-backed bank formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland, will face “very large fines” according to experts, following its failure to
Newly released Land Registry data has revealed the overseas companies that own property in England and Wales, with a considerable ‘hotspot’ in London and interest from ‘tax haven’ organisations rife. The analysis comes in the
Conveyancing law firm, Sort Legal, launches brand new website and company-wide rebrand to enhance clients’ online journey. Founded in 2016, the Derby and Cardiff based Sort Legal have announced a new look and enhanced client-facing
Revised ethical rules are launched today by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The new Rules of Conduct set out the core principles of professional practice for RICS’ regulated members and firms worldwide. Changes include
The government have released further details of the “Residential Property Developer Tax” (RPDT) which is aimed at funding the remediation costs of replacing dangerous cladding on leasehold properties. The Tax will be levied on the