A Guide to lack of planning and/or building regulations legal indemnity insurance
Legal Indemnities Lack of planning or building regulation approval is a common problem. Conveyancing solicitors know how long it can take to get retrospective planning permission or building regulation approval. Many vendors fear losing their purchaser and worry the conveyancing chain will break down if there is a delay in completion. In some scenarios lack […]
Going deeper: Groundsure’s mine cavity remediation approach
Cornwall has a long and illustrious history of metalliferous mining stretching back for centuries until the last Cornish tin mine at South Crofty closed in March 1998. While it came to an end, its legacy is still being felt today. Prior to regulations being brought in to ensure safe building practices on Brownfield sites affected […]
Nottingham: The house of caves
Tig Guocobauc, or House of Caves as it translates, was the name given to the city of Nottingham by the chronicler to Alfred the Great in the year 893 A.D. For many of the city’s inhabitants, it is something they are quite proud of. It helps make the city what it is today and forms […]
Halifax Price Index: stock shortages driving inflation
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 15-year high taking the average UK property price to a record £272,992. Quarterly house price inflation is now at […]
LSB publishes lawyer competency consultation
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 LSB has launched a consultation on a draft statutory statement of policy on the outcomes regulators should pursue to ensure legal […]
Government announces flagship Brownfield Land Release Fund
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 for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will allocate a further £11 million to councils to develop brownfield land into […]
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish”
At the recent Conveyancing Association Annual Conference, I was reminded of the words to this “Broadway banger” during a number of sessions that took place during the day. Whether it was talking about improving the home buying and selling process in general, or talk about “end-to-end digital conveyancing“, or it was around talk of HIPs […]
Conveyancing Association conference sets out process improvements
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, either already available or imminent, to help speed up the sale and purchase of property. Taking place on 2nd December, […]
Cladding scandal: Gove expected to announce stricter penalties for developers
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 measures, Gove is expected to announce that developers responsible for dangerous cladding could be barred from public contracts and an […]
Law Society appoints interim CEO
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 the US, and is now a highly experienced senior executive and consultant. He’s a former interim CEO of the Chartered […]
Government-backed 95% mortgage scheme has “slow uptake”
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 as part of his wider Budget announcement, but data shows that between April and the end of June just 812 mortgages completed […]
HMLR Practice Guide update: PG52
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 how to apply for a register entry in respect of easements and the register entries that are made in respect […]
Identity theft. Who is sleeping in your house tonight?
You might think that there is only a remote possibility of identity theft happening to you, or someone you know. That it’s highly unlikely your house, and everything inside it will be stolen. Or that legal businesses can play a vital role in the theft. In a BBC News report dated 1st November, 2021 by […]
Round up of an extraordinary year: search volumes soared but we pulled together to smash it on turnaround times
As 2021 draws to a close, we reflect on what has been another demanding year for Thames Water Property Searches and our customers. We have had to continue to be adaptable and resilient in order to carry out our duties. For our team of dedicated search experts, the last 12 months have been all consuming […]
Government announces potential changes to SDLT relief
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 relief for multiple dwellings and mixed-use properties. Details announced at the Government Tax Administration and Maintenance Day build on action […]
Challenging first half of 2022 anticipated for property market
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 be wiped out by a +2.5% increase in January. The report, based on analysis of over 18,000 conveyancing quote forms […]
Law Society responds to LSB consultation on empowering consumers
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. Following a consultation launched by the LSB on a draft statutory statement of policy on empowering consumers, outlining how the […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer
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 on the stuff. I wanted to share some of my own insight into a fast-moving world where we face daily […]
Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) – Part 2 – The Granny Annex Conundrum.
Part 1 outlined the basics of MDR for standard purchases involving several dwellings and for mixed purchases of dwellings and non-residential property. This part concerns the more contentions area of Granny Annexes and Subsidiary Dwellings. Part 3 covers MDR and building projects and also the main exclusions and post completion events which trigger clawback. The […]
Conveyancing Foundation helps to raise over £10,000 for Yorkshire youth homelessness charity
A youth housing charity has received over £10,000 from private fundraising and with assistance from the Conveyancing Foundation’s Charity Lotto. Over £4,400 has been donated by the Foundation to Roundabout, which is committed to preventing youth homelessness in Yorkshire, from funds raised by the team at Convey Law in October. The Conveyancing Foundation enables legal […]