News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
The fall in construction output below the pre-pandemic level in February 2020 is a wakeup call that the construction industry is struggling according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The comments come in response
August’s HMRC statistics show the anticipated busy run up to the end of the SDLT holiday on 30th September. The data is split into non-seasonally adjusted estimate, and seasonally adjusted estimates (which follow a regular
A report conducted by law firm RPC has revealed that fines for data protection breaches issued by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the latest financial year have increased by 1580% compared to the previous
The UK property market will continue to be buoyed by the recent publication of Q2 statistics which show a strong mortgage market. The Bank of England’s “Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics” show the amount lent
The Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) has released its latest report on progress made in tackling money laundering by regulators over the past year. While this year’s report acknowledges that professional body
Today, the Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consultation on a draft statutory statement of policy on empowering consumers. Developed following engagement with the legal services regulators and others across the sector, it outlines how
Hugh James has, this week, completed the UK’s first-ever property deal using the revolutionary new Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), which was recently approved by HM Land Registry. The landmark transaction forms part of a national
August saw an anticipated fall in the number of properties sold per estate agency branch as the SDLT holiday comes to a close at the end of August. But buyer demand and conveyancing pipelines remain
Just days before the ousting of the latest housing secretary Robert Jenrick, proposals to overhaul planning laws were quietly scrapped in what is thought to be a political move following Tory by-election losses to the
Investments in offices outside the capital for the first half of this year hit £3.58bn – 18 per cent above the long-term average for the first half of this year, Savills research reveals. Overseas investors
An independent report on custom and self-build housing conducted by MP Richard Bacon has found that some local councils have been “subverting” legislation that is designed to encourage self-built homes. The custom and self build
The Conveyancing Information Executive (CIE) has today published a detailed whitepaper, ‘Property Passports: the role of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs)’, which addresses the practical challenges of transitioning the property industry to universally using UPRNs,
The ESTAs returns in October with the relationship between estate agents and conveyancers under the microscope. The unprecedented activity in the property market over the last 18 months has highlighted the relationship between agents and
The Autumn housing market will see a settling of the extraordinary growth seen so far this year but demand will remain strong as supply issues continue into the Winter months according to the August reallymoving
Housing Minster Robert Jenrick has been ousted as Prime Minster Boris Johnson conducts his cabinet reshuffle. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has been confirmed as the new housing secretary. As part of his role, Mr
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