The importance of properly managed conveyancing calls
Sometimes conveyancing just seems impossible. At the end of a month on a Friday you will have a million and one completions to handle and you are still getting estate agents pushing you to meet their exchange targets for the month, clients wanting to tell you that they have sent in the cheque for […]
Flooding – welcome to the new norm
The “unprecedented” winter weather of 2013/14 is clearly telling us that the rules on the climate have changed. New records are being made and perhaps have still a way to go: – The wettest January in England since 1755 – The wettest sequence of months nationally since records began. – 6000 homes affected by […]
Runnett and Co conveyancers acquired again
Runnett and Co, the large conveyancing business operating out of Bridgend in South Wales, has been acquired by Countrywide Conveyancing Services the conveyancing wing of Countrywide plc, the UK’s largest integrated property services group. A notice on their website states The Bridgend business of Runnett Property Lawyers was acquired by Countrywide Conveyancing Services on the […]
Shut forever?
Introduction Without doubt confidentiality is at the corner stone of a solicitors practice. In Miers v Evans, (1839 3 Jur 170) Patteson J held : ‘…it would be a dangerous doctrine to lay down, that we can compel an attorney, because he is an attorney, to give a copy of, or produce, a document in […]
Kick Start your CPD year with PSG
PSG are once again planning a year of training events that will support solicitors and conveyancers in achieving their annual CPD requirements. Their impressive 2013 CPD programme saw over 70 separate seminars taking place around the country, providing over 700 hours of CPD and attended by a record numbers of delegates. The CPD series kicked […]
Repossesion at seven year low
According to new figures, reposession cases are at their lowest level since 2007. The news comes at the same time that Bank of England governor Mark Carney said the UK housing market is generally recovering, on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show. Richard Sexton, director at e.surv chartered surveyors, said: "Falling homeowner arrears and repossessions are […]
Consumers relying on estate agents to decide conveyancer
A recent survey has revealed that most home buyers rely on recommendations from their estate agents when looking for a conveyancer. The annual report was carried out by the Property Academy in association with the TM Group and more than 4700 consumers across England and Wales took part. The findings showed that 68% of home […]
More evidence of a booming mortgage market
New research has revealed that home lending soared by a quarter this January, the best it has been since 2007. Monthly house purchase approvals climbed to 65,142, while monthly home loans increased by 24 percent in the month leading to January. The lending surge has been attributed to lenders creating a pipeline ahead of the […]
Solicitor adds to sentence
A solicitor in Birmingham has had another year added to his four-year prison sentence on multi-million pound mortgage fraud charges, after trying to force a key witness to sign a false statement to vindicate him. The court was told that Kamran Malik coerced the witness into going to an Italian restaurant and signing a pre-prepared […]
Welsh council blocks right to buy
A Welsh council is attempting to combat a shortage in affordable housing by blocking the right-to-buy policy. Swansea City Council can suspend the policy under new powers passed to the National Assembly for Wales which allow councils to opt out of the scheme, with the Welsh government making the final decision. In the last ten […]
Conveyancer disqualified for 16 years
A conveyancer has been disqualified for a total of 16 years following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Malcolm Graham ran SFM Legal Services Ltd and was originally disqualified from being a director for five years, before receiving a second ban of 11 years for misrepresentations that led to over 29 million in losses to […]
Conveyancing – it’s not a postcode lottery!
In her latest blog, Head of Property at Goldsmith Williams, Lynne McCaffrey, highlights the hidden charges that often come with buying a property. “I don’t know if it’s the weather but I’ve been daydreaming a lot lately about holidays. I picture basking on a beach, topaz-coloured sea lapping the shore, maybe a cheeky cocktail in […]
Rowlinsons set out the benefits of CQS
Rowlinsons Solicitors Limited have share what they believe are the benefits of being part of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme. The firm believes that “CQS accreditation has helped the firm secure business that we may have otherwise not secured.” Background on Rowlinsons Solicitors Limited Rowlinsons has 12 solicitors and approximately 25 additional fee earners and support […]
Rowlinsons set out the benefits of CQS
Rowlinsons Solicitors Limited have share what they believe are the benefits of being part of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme. The firm believes that “CQS accreditation has helped the firm secure business that we may have otherwise not secured.” Background on Rowlinsons Solicitors Limited Rowlinsons has 12 solicitors and approximately 25 additional fee earners and support […]
SLC announces road show sponsors
Leading search providers show their support for dedicated conveyancing events The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) has announced that CLS Ltd and PSG will be sponsoring the first SLC roadshow of 2014, taking place in Brentwood on Saturday 8th March. The SLC have welcomed the sponsorship, enabling them to offer the events free of charge […]
House Lending is Soaring Upwards
"In 2013, there has been a resurgence in the mortgage market with year-on-year growth for all types of borrower. First-time buyers were an especially important factor in driving the market forward in 2013 as improved economic conditions, as well as the introduction of government schemes like Help to Buy, have given the opportunity for them to enter the […]
Today's Conveyancer speaks to myhomemove CEO, Doug Crawford
Doug Crawford, CEO of myhomemove, spoke exclusively to Today’s Conveyancer as the company expands and opens a new Manchester office. You joined myhomemove in April 2012. What makes conveyancing an interesting sector for you? Conveyancing, for me, is at a crossroads. When I joined myhomemove a couple of years ago after 16 years in financial […]
Government move towards privatisation of Land Registry
Since 1862 the Land Registry has recorded the ownership of land and property in England and Wales and produces data on house prices and transactions that are used by the government to make policy decisions. The government is taking the first steps to lead towards a sell off or part privatisation of the Land Registry. […]
Smash the Machine?
Smash the Machine? The whole fracking debate has got me thinking about how we fail to embrace the opportunities that new technologies bring. The fracking protesters seem, to me, to be a combination of modern-day Luddites and NIMBY[1] reactionaries with a blinkered view of the world based on either ignorance or self-interest. Or maybe they are […]
Blankley v Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust [2014] EWHC 168 (QB) (05 February 2014)
In this post Anis Waiz, solicitor and head of commercial litigation at Curtis Law Solicitors, continues his critical review of current case law. In this case the High Court considered an important issue namely where a represented party loses mental capacity in the course of proceedings, does such loss of capacity terminate their solicitor’s retainer? […]