News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
Countryside Properties has joined Taylor Wimpey and Aviva in announcing it will end the doubling of ground rents on new build developments. They concession is another victory for campaigners who have successful lobbied the Competitions
A campaign urging people to remain vigilant to impersonation fraud has got underway this week. The “Take Five to Stop Fraud” campaign urges people to Stop, Challenge, Protect when asked for their information or money.
Most law firms made it through the pandemic unscathed. Around three quarters of responding firms said their revenues and profits were level with or higher than their projections for 2020-21. Despite national restrictions and market
A third First Homes development site has been unveiled in Newton Aycliffe in the North of England. The announcement follows that of two First Homes sites in Bolsover, Derbyshire and Cannock, Staffordshire, where work began
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is planning to start recharging the cost of the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) based on how many complaints each law firm generates, rather than spread the cost across the profession.
This is the first a series of articles intended to highlight some of the SDLT issues facing practitioners involved in property transactions. The series aims to enable practitioners to understand where apparently innocent transactions are
The Governing council of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has this afternoon published Alison Levitt QC’s full report into the organisation’s conduct following an accountancy audit which led to the dismissal of senior
The proposed Building Safety Bill still leaves leaseholders bearing the brunt of the cladding crisis, the Law Society of England and Wales has warned. Introduced following the devastating Grenfell Tower fire and subsequent public inquiry,
The mortgage market shows signs of stability as the property market heads towards the end of the stamp duty holiday on 30th September. From 1st October, the nil rate band will revert to the standard
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ Chair Sean Tomkins is reported to be resigning from the role amid the release of Alison Levitt QC’s independent review into the organisation’s conduct and internal accountancy issues. In
Cybercriminals are becoming more aggressive, a recent report reveals. The report shows that cybercrime gangs are using even more sophisticated ransomware to extort millions from firms across the UK. The average ransomware demand has also
The Conveyancing Information Executive (CIE) has today announced that Ordnance Survey (OS) has become an Industry Partner of the trade body organisation. Ordnance Survey is Great Britain’s leading mapping and location data business, with unique
Following 20 years of innovation and transformation, Groundsure is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Long-serving team members Stuart Telfer, Catherine Shiers, Dan Montagnani, Ceri Sansom and Malcolm Smith discuss their journey ahead of anniversary celebrations in
Seven in ten believe their local high street has been fundamentally changed by Covid-19. But a new report from international law firm Withers highlights the wealth of opportunities this change has created for open-minded landlords
The impact of rising house prices has seen nearly 400,000 transactions down valued in the lat year by surveyors working on behalf of mortgage lenders, who believe the price agreed by both buyer and seller
The staff and functions of Planning Inspectorate Wales are set to transfer from English to Welsh Government from 1 October. The new division will be called Planning and Environment Decisions Wales – Penderfyniadau Cynllunio ac
New research from Experian has revealed that bank account fraud is now tracking at its highest level for more than three years. Drawing on the latest data from the National Hunter Fraud Prevention Service, the
Blockchain technology provider Coadjute has announced further progress with estate agency software vendors as it ramps up its efforts to connect the disparate parts of the home-moving process. Claiming to halve the time it takes
DWSN and the Law Society launch an updated CON29DW Commercial as part of changes to drainage and water searches for residential and commercial properties. DWSN and the Law Society are committed to regular updates for
A report from Thomson Reuters reveals that less than one in ten legal professionals want to return to working regular hours in the office, and would instead prefer to spend over two days a week
Although it seems that the level of transactions has calmed down somewhat post June 30 and the end of the first stamp duty holiday, it has not perhaps been the “cliff-edge” that some predicted. As
UK Finance figures show the scale of the stimulus provided by the SDLT holiday as home movers sought to take advantage of the savings on offer but warned that the current levels of lending would
In line with reports that larger homes have been popular with home movers as more space is required to accommodate home working, Warwick Estates has revealed that the new-build sector has made a significant contribution
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will today introduce the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), marking the beginning of the biggest change to how aspiring solicitors can enter the profession for almost 30 years. Aspiring solicitors will
A new legal job site has been launched to help conveyancers advertise and recruit for their teams. Propertyjobs.legal is a new UK platform that connects Law practises to conveyancing talent. The platform has been launched
Are you in the cyber hot seat? With reams of sensitive personal data and transactions that involve large sums of money, the legal sector is undeniably a massive target for cyber crime. Cyber Security –
A new report aimed at educating home movers on air quality around their prospective new home has been launched. This month, Air Pollution Services launched their AirChecker™️ which will make it easier for consumers and
X-Press Legal Services, the UK’s largest independent search provider, has witnessed one of its busiest years in its two decades of operation as the housing market boomed during the pandemic. The firm has seen a
Conveyancing quote volumes peaked in Spring at more than double the usual level but dropped by 18% in June and a further 21% in July to reach more normal levels according to figures produced by
More over-55s are hanging on to their homes removing millions of homes from potential circulation and adding to the current housing shortage according to a report released by Legal and General. Less than 25% of
HM Land Registry has released details of changes to the following Practice Guides in its latest update. Charities: advice for applications sent to HM Land Registry (PG14) This guide is aimed at conveyancers and legal
Influential think tank the Resolution Foundation has suggested that the temporary stamp-duty was not the “overwhelming driver” behind the surge in property market activity and that underlying factors instead responsible for driving house prices up,