Following the latest Land Registry consultation to considerably broaden its powers relating to property generally IPSA, The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents, have served Judicial Review proceedings criticising the short period of consultation being 7 rather than 12 weeks but has also the following stark warning to conveyancers.
Christian Lister, IPSA Chairman on issuing the review said "IPSA has tried its up most to avoid taking Judicial Review action; we have maintained constant contact with HMLR even when others decided not to."
He continued "I think IPSA’s intervention should be viewed as stark warning to other sectors within the property industry. Should HMLR be successful in being granted these wider powers then land charges data is only the beginning, As Chris Grayling stated in the Commons, he will legislate until HMLR become ‘the one-stop shop for searches’, so the environmental, water and ancillary report providers like chancel should be paying close attention to this."
"If HMLR go that far then, I have a warning for conveyancers, you are next. A Government company which holds all the data could quite easily promote itself to lenders only, especially if they guaranteed the data".
"I’m not convinced the Law Society thought this through when it began spouting market failure to the Land Registry Advisory Council. The personal search market should be held up as a shining example of public sector information re-use rather than being swept aside by Government. The industry has helped millions of families move home, helped millions of aspiring home owners realise their dream, brought down transaction costs and completion times, encouraged competition and embraced the Government’s own digital agenda; a market failure, I think not and its very telling this shameful stance was adopted, we are one of the best successes the UK has ever seen"
What do you think about the consultation?
