According to a Twitter poll conducted by Tripwire, the fines given to companies who have broken GDPR laws are still not high enough, despite being in the millions. The mutually agreed General Data Protection Regulation
New research from TSB has found that 41% of home owners would prefer to build an extension than move, after new changes in planning laws. In May, the Government relaxed rules on planning in a
A study by independent equity release advisor Key has found that 20% of older home owners are using equity release to repay mortgages, with another 30% using it to repay unsecured debt. Equity release is
The Government has extended a campaign designed to increase the amount of suspicious activity reports (SARs), in a bit to limit the impact of money laundering. The Flag It Up campaign, which has already targeted
People aged 18 to 34 are putting plans for romance, children and leisure on the back burner in a bid to get on the property ladder. That’s according to mortgage broker Trussle. A recent study
The Homeowners Alliance (HOA) has looked at the potential pitfalls of buying and selling by auction. Commenting on the trend, HOA Chief Executive Paula Higgins said: “It is good to have new ways to help
Property professionals are being urged to report suspicious activity if they believe that money laundering could be taking place when buying properties. A Government campaign designed to crack down on criminals aims to help people
The ESTAS Customer Service Awards sponsored by SearchFlow are the biggest awards in the UK conveyancing sector. The winners were announced by Phil Spencer, the TV property expert at a glamorous dinner & ceremony at
Representatives from the UK’s most respected conveyancing firms, innovative suppliers to the sector, technology experts and industry commentators gathered yesterday to discuss the hot topics concerning the sector. Hosted by Chris Harris, Managing Director of
In five weeks time on Friday 19th October the biggest and best bash in our industry takes place when The ESTAS Conveyancer Awards are held in London. So here’s all you need to know about
There has been a “significant” increase in the number of homes being valued below the sale price according to some of the UK’s largest mortgage advisers. In England, buyers who need a mortgage must instruct
The Law Commission has published proposals to change the law and make it easier for leasehold homeowners in England to buy the freeholds of their properties. The Commission is currently looking at a programme of
When it comes to money laundering and terrorist financing, there are some ‘Red Flag Indicators’ that conveyancers should be aware of. This advice could be particularly important following the announcement that conveyancers could be liable
The CLC is making changes to relevant sections of the CLC Handbook to ensure all its regulated practices will be compliant with the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) when it comes fully into force from 1
According to conveyancing service provider, LMS, the proportion of borrowers remortgaging following a divorce or separation increased to 5% in May. This ‘breakup borrowing’ is up 3% from the previous month and up 2% on
Legal firms are a prime target for cyber attackers due to the sensitive client information and funds they manage. In particular, conveyancing solicitors should be vigilant as property transactions are well known targets for cybercrime.
Proposals from the Law Commission to reform the Land Registration Act would impose a new statutory duty on conveyancers to check the identity of clients. And, where conveyancers fail to take reasonable care, they could
The Law Commission has put forward radical new proposals aimed at delivering a fairer deal for leasehold homeowners. Designed to give leaseholders security and control over their homes the proposals include: Options for changing the
Today the SRA have released their Risk Outlook 2018/19. They have included two new priority risks this year: 1. Managing claims ‘We are increasingly concerned about the practises of some firms that offer personal injury
A leading global provider of digital evidence management has filed a patent application to tie blockchain security to its software. Caselines – which is currently digitising trial bundles in the courts – has called on
The Law Society of England and Wales has revealed there are now more women practising as solicitors than men. In a “historic shift”, out of 139,624 PC holders, 50.1% are women. Women also account for
Property fraudsters could be stopped in their tracks by technical fixes of the law, according to the Law Commission. The independent legal body say HM Land Registry has had to fork out close to £60
Earlier this year, a new online platform was launched which allows people the opportunity to buy a property in just one click. The Dot Button, which was created by one of the founders of buy-to-let
The Government has announced that foreign companies that own UK properties will have to reveal their ultimate owners on the world’s first public register. Furthermore, criminals who illegally profit from owning British property could face
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has opened a consultation on the current standard of proof used in disciplinary proceedings. The Tribunal is seeking views on whether it should be easier to prosecute solicitors for misconduct.
House prices increased by 3% in the year to May 2018 (down from 3.5% in April 2018) according to the Office of National Statistics. This is its lowest annual rate since August 2013 when it
Only 24 hours after the Land registry released data showing a 20 per cent slump in housing transactions, new figures from the Equity Release Council throw some light on why older owners may no longer
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), which oversees the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), has presented its Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 to Parliament. LeO accepted 7,527 legal complaints in the 2017-18 financial year. This rose from
Trading Standards has warned agents that they must switch to a valid redress service. Agents who do not do so by 6 August will leave customers unable to access free alternative dispute resolution services. And,
Tipton & Coseley Building Society has launched a new mortgage product which is explicitly aimed at borrowers looking to short-let their properties. Potentially changing the buy-to-let market, it is thought that this type of mortgage
Tuesday evening saw the culmination of ten weeks hard work as five start-ups presented at the MDR LAB demo day. The MDR LAB provides legal tech start-ups with real business insight giving them the opportunity
The Welsh Government has created an expert taskforce to find ways to improve the leasehold system in Wales.