Creating or Challenging Easements – A new webinar from Stewart Title
Easements can be a benefit or a burden for landowners literally as well as legally, so Conveyancers need to know how to prove or challenge the existence of an easement. The recent decision from the Upper Tribunal in the case of Hughes v Benefice of Frampton on Severn showing the current judicial thinking on this area of law is […]
Positive response ahead of new solicitor exam’s first sitting
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) today announced that more than a thousand people have signed up to take the first ever Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) assessment in November. The new single rigorous examination means that all aspiring solicitors will have to meet consistent, high standards at point of entry into the profession. Bookings for the […]
Will leaseholders see property ‘levelling up’ now Gove’s in charge?
In September housebuilder Countryside Properties became the latest big developer to pledge an end to ground rents on leasehold properties. For thousands of leaseholders who bought homes from them it means they will no longer be subjected to the unfair rent system that doubles rates every 10 to 15 years. For many homeowners, entering into […]
Future of Legal Ombudsman hangs in balance
Meetings between the Government and regulators are set to discuss potential changes to the current redress structure, if the performance of Legal Ombudsman services does not improve. The LSB will hear initial feedback on whether the failing Legal Ombudsman has made efforts to improve its performance next month. This comes following a 13% budget increase […]
£167,000 technology investment to address regional inequalities in access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has won a further grant from the latest round of Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF) to help connect those using new legal technologies with those who need their services. The award of £167,856 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will be used to create a new network […]
“Fix cladding scandal” Gove told
The newly appointed Secretary of State for the newly created Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has been tasked with solving the cladding scandal, latest reports suggest. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked Gove, who replaced Robert Jenrick in a cabinet reshuffle on 15 September, to bring the cladding scandal to a […]
Data protection breaches have resulted in 1580% ICO fine increase
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 year. The record £42 million in fines in the year 2020/21 represent those issued for data protection breaches and were mainly comprised […]
Regulator and Landfill Operator told to Improve in Key Judgement
Campaigners, Stop the Stink, have won their High Court case against the Environment Agency (EA) and Walley Quarry Ltd in Silverdale near Newcastle-under-Lyme, proving it to be a source of noxious gases including hydrogen sulphide (H2S) that has directly harmed the local community. The Judge, Mr Justice Fordham ruled that the gases had the potential […]
Planning reforms stall amid political manoeuvring
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 Liberal Democrats in June. The proposals were part of the government’s “Project Speed”, which aimed to modernise and simplify the […]
Right to Build legislation being “subverted” by local councils, report finds
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 housing report was initiated to examine the shortcomings of Right to Build legislation, including its failure to achieve its aim […]
SDLT – Too Hot To Handle?
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 more complicated than initially presented by clients so that they know what additional information they need to ask clients and […]
Building Safety Bill “does not got far enough” says Law Society
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, which exposed the widespread use of hazardous cladding on buildings across England and Wales, the Bill enters committee stage in […]
SQE: Landmark new route to qualifying as solicitor launches
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 now be required to take two sets of centralised assessments designed to evaluate competence for entry to the profession, as […]
Air pollution search launched for conveyancers and home movers
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 their property professionals to get the information they need to make the right decision. The Air Pollution Services’ (APS) report is […]
Leaseholders continue to wait for “levelling-up”
The lack of progress on leasehold reforms is leaving thousands of homeowners in a potentially costly waiting game and in danger of losing out. The Government announced long-awaited reforms to ‘level up’ the leasehold system at the start of the year, including scrapping ground rents and ensuring leaseholders can extend effectively forever. However, without a […]
Up to 3m homes powered by hydrogen within next ten years
The UK government wants up to 3m homes to be powered by hydrogen by 2030, as part of its strategy to move to the low carbon energy source. Its hydrogen strategy released today sets out how transport, business and construction will harness the green-friendly gas creating up to 9,000 new jobs and unlocking £4bn in […]
Cladding crisis stalls again as lenders and RICS await guidance update
The Government’s plan to unlock at least some of the property market paralysed by the cladding crisis has faced yet another setback. New hope for leaseholders of properties in low rise buildings was offered last month when Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that buildings under 18 metres in height would no longer need an EWS1 […]
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 […]
Right first time; new form for restrictions in the register
In-form-ed Consent: Use new form RXC to comply with restrictions in the register The story: You’ve been working for months on a deal that required the cooperation of the seller’s ex-husband, the management company or a risk-averse mortgagee. It’s been fraught with difficulty, you’ve finally completed it and submitted the disposition for registration, only to […]
Technical Corner: Here Comes the Sun!
Our ‘Technical Corner’ brings you information that will help you to continue to grow and develop in your career. This month’s technical corner article comes from Amy Bell, Director at Teal Compliance If you have any questions for our panel of experts, please submit them using the contact form below. We will publish the questions […]
