Dealing with Residential Leasehold Properties 2021
Another unmissable webinar for conveyancers Busy conveyancers are feeling the pressure to keep up with the latest developments in law, and webinars are proving to be a very convenient way of learning. It is for this reason that Stewart Title has been working with property expert Ian Quayle to produce free webinars for over a […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer; 2nd August 2021
This week I have been thinking about what I would like to change about my working life, or probably more what I would change if I could about the way in which conveyancing is done. The problem of having done the job for so many years is that you see how it changes over time, […]
Working Better Together!
As we all know, the market has seen phenomenal activity over the last 18 months, with extreme ups and down, and not much in between. So now, after the end to the race to meet the Stamp Duty holiday deadline, the vaccine programme and ‘Freedom Day’ moving us ever closer to a realistic normality, what […]
Time-saving tips to speed up your applications from HMLR
HM Land Registry have released their latest blog outlining how conveyancers can speed up the time to process applications and reduce delays, In a list of “top tips” Darren Standring, from the Customer Policy Team, provides some helpful pointers designed to ease frustrations around delays for everyone. To save time when submitting applications and reduce […]
Fraud and computer misuse crimes rise by more than a third
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that there were an estimated 4.6 million fraud offences in the year ending March 2021, a 24% increase compared with 2020 figures. The survey also revealed that fraud and computer misuse offences have risen by more than a third in England and […]
SDLT and the unknown unknowns…De-risk your practice
The end of the SDLT holiday was a relief for Julie, a hardworking conveyancer in a market town, relentless pressure from thankless clients, working weekends and evenings for months. Then of course, the SDLT returns and Land Registrations had to be dealt with- it didn’t end with the end of the holiday. Six months later, […]
CMA to get new powers of enforcement
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced a major shake-up of the Competition and Markets Authority’s powers. The CMA has been instrumental in the drive toward greater pricing transparency for consumers and more recently has intervened in the leasehold ground rents scandal that has resulted in Aviva and Persimmon Homes announcing they would remove certain terms […]
What is Japanese knotweed?
Officially titled Fallopia Japonica, Japanese Knotweed is a plant native to east Asia. It arrived in Europe during the 19th century, and unaware of its ability to cause harm it was planted freely. It was even celebrated for its pretty flowering branches! Sometimes mistaken for bamboo, Japanese knotweed grows from rhizomes that are situation deep […]
NEW Freehold Estate Rentcharge (Lender Only) Policy
The problems caused by Estate Rentcharges has been a hot topic for property lawyers for the last few years and despite much talk about reform, they continue to be a significant issue for homeowners and their lenders. Many freehold titles (predominately on housing developments) protect amounts due for repairs and maintenance to Management Companies/a third […]
Cladding fund left unclaimed due to qualification difficulties
Almost half of a waking watch cladding fund has been left unclaimed due to a difficult qualification process. New statistics reveal that the Waking Watch Relief Fund introduced to aid leaseholders affected by the unsafe cladding scandal, show that almost half of the fund has been left unclaimed. Property managers and leaseholders say that there […]
Bell Lamb & Joynson Solicitors mark record year with new office move
Bell Lamb & Joynson Solicitors has reported a record year as it marks its 200-year anniversary as a firm. Following the start of its financial year this July, the North West solicitors has experienced surges in case volume and turnover, up by 56% and 24% respectively since 2019/2020. The award-winning firm has also increased its […]
The Mindstep Trekkers take on Offa’s Dyke in memory of Max Davies
On July 25th I set off on a very personal fundraising challenge for the Mindstep Foundation which we established in memory of our beautiful son Maxwell, who took his own life at just 22 years of age after suffering from clinical depression. Three years on and eight very good friends and I are on a […]
Handling an annual leave backlog with the phased end of the SDLT holiday
As conveyancer’s breathe a sigh of relief that the 30 June SDLT frantic deadline has passed, thoughts of a well-deserved break over the summer will no doubt be at the forefront of their minds. And the opportunity is real now that lockdown restrictions are being lifted across the nation – with travel abroad now more […]
Residential Leases: ground rents and cladding issues
Barely a day goes by without the media highlighting some of the terrible problems being encountered by the owners high rise flats due to fire safety issues. What should a conveyancer do when acting for a seller or buyer. If acting for a seller what can be done : Point the client(s) towards the numerous […]
Seeing the wood for the trees…
I have had an interesting week working from home as the woods around where I live and my office is now based are subject to a thinning programme involving some amazing tree felling machinery. This leads me to wonder if now that the SDLT window has closed whether we can now draw breath and if […]
Hybrid working to offer greater social mobility
Professional jobs are on the up, but the lack of diversity is stalling progression in professional services. Hybrid and flexible working could provide an opportunity to change the current status quo in the legal profession, according to the Law Society of England and Wales. The Social Mobility Commission’s state of the nation report 2021 found […]
Conveyancers Under Increased Communications Pressure, Research Reveals
The number of exchanges between clients and conveyancing solicitors spiked last month as the rush to meet the stamp duty holiday increased communications pressures on the industry. The data from leading communications provider, Moneypenny, revealed that sales progression calls were up by 20% in June compared to the previous month as clients panicked about missing […]
Improve information for consumers says LSB
The Legal Services Board has published a response to the submissions it received to its discussion paper on quality indicators. Published in February 2021, the paper prompted a wide-ranging debate over what quality means in the legal services market and how best to convey this to consumers. The response document concludes that there is still […]
1/3rd of firms introduced new technology in the last 12 months
A major independent study into innovation in the legal sector has revealed that while the majority of law firms are making increasing use of day-to-day technology, the development of bespoke legal technology is largely focussed on advances which will benefit larger corporate clients. The research carried out by the University of Oxford on behalf of […]
Charity trek aims to raise £15,000 for Mindstep Foundation
CONVEY Law Managing Director Lloyd Davies has set out on an intrepid summer challenge along Britain’s longest ancient monument – Offa’s Dyke – to raise £15,000 for a cause very close to his heart – the Mindstep Foundation, set up in memory of his son Max. Lloyd and his wife Tracey set up the Foundation to fund mental health research, awareness and support after their eldest son Max […]