Boost in demand for luxury homes
The luxury new homes market has seen a 21 per cent increase in property searches where the sale price is over £500,000, when compared to the same period last year, reports SmartNewHomes. SmartNewHomes reports that an increasing number of buyers are finding that luxury homes are not out of reach. Home owners who have remained […]
Wards Solicitors market a new security measure from the Land Registry
Property has long been an attractive target for potential fraudsters. At high risk of being targeted are those that are empty, mortgage-free or tenanted. Wards Solicitors have on their website highlighted a new, free security measure that has been introduced by the Land Registry to help absent owners protect their property. The Land Registry has […]
Mortgage Approvals up during January marking steady start to the year.
The British Banking Association has released statistics on mortgage transactions for January 2012. The number of mortgage approvals in January 2012 was the highest seen in two years, according to the British Bankers’ Association. The figure of 38,092 is 34% higher than the figure for January 2011 (36,553). There were 1539 more approvals than […]
Lenders and Lawyers working together
LFS are pleased to announce the launch of this year’s Conveyancing Conference to be followed by the inaugural Conveyancing Awards. The theme of this year’s event is Lenders and Lawyers working together. Clearly with so much focus on panel management of law firms by lenders, this is the ideal opportunity for conveyancing firms to come […]
Barratt Developments see increase in demand for new homes
Barratt Homes have reported an increase of almost a fifth in new home reservations in the last 12 months, according to whathouse.co.uk. Barratt’s said that the average sale price on one of their developments is now £181,200, a year on year increase of over 3 per cent, indicating that market conditions are improving. With reservation […]
Law Society Consultation on Property Information Form (TA6)
The Law Society have launched a consultation on the Property Information Form (TA6) (PDF), asking for views on how the form can be improved for conveyancers, buyers, sellers and lenders. The consultation, which does not extend to leasehold, commonhold enquiries or new build, seeks to obtain views, particularly from Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) members, that […]
Calls for the Government to put pressure on HSBC to reverse its conveyancing panel decision
Rob Hailstone of The Bold Group is asking law firms to sign his e-petition calling for the Government to put pressure on HSBC to reverse its conveyancing panel decision. Rob comments: “In January 2012, HSBC reduced the number of law firms that could act for it and the buyer of a property (with an HSBC […]
Des Hudson “disappointed” with ongoing HSBC conveyancing panel saga
Des Hudson, Law Society Chief Executive, has met with senior representatives of HSBC, according to the Law Society Gazette, following the slashing of its conveyancing panel a month ago. Having reduced their conveyancing panel to just 43 firms HSBC are currently facing a backlash from the profession, with calls for bank accounts to be moved […]
Goldsmith Williams scoop top 10 in LegalTec 100
Liverpool based Goldsmith Williams are celebrating following recognition as one of the top 100 law firms for technology innovation, advancement and sustainability. The firm registered its commitment to its introducer and client communities by channelling technology innovation and efficiency and have succeeded in achieving the number 7 spot in the KnowList’s legal technology excellence survey. […]
New Business and Oversight Membership announced
The Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) recently announced the new Business and Oversight Board membership. The new board will watch over the delivery of shared services to both organisations and will also advise Law Society Council on oversight of the SRA. Consisting of equal numbers of members from each organisation and including three […]
Help me get back on the panel.
As well as helping the team run Today’s Conveyancer I am a consultant advising many different types of legal firms, including conveyancers, on a broad range of matters. Increasingly one of the many areas that I am being asked to help is getting a firm back onto a lender’s panel. Often I find cases […]
Safe Move achieve gold standard
Safe Move, a trading arm of Yorkshire Water, have recently been awarded Gold Investors in People (IIP) status, the highest IIP accreditation. Investors in People look at business improvement, helping organisations to transform their performance through development of people. Providing conveyancing searches in the Yorkshire area, Safe Move pride themselves on offering a “first class […]
Liverpool City Council to Provide Help For First-Time Buyers
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve plans for a new Local Authority Mortgage Scheme today. If it is given the go-ahead, it could help more than 200 people into their first homes. The £3 million scheme will see the Liverpool City Council working alongside mortgage lenders to boost the amount made available […]
SRA holds firm on publication policy
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is holding firm on arguments against the publication policy, after rejecting the Law Society’s calls to limit the information published about solicitors who are subject to regulatory sanctions, according to Legal Futures. The SRA make decisions on firms and individuals they regulate and publish them on their website, this began […]
Should Conveyancers be paid on performance?
I have recently had a twitter conversation with an estate agent who clearly feels that conveyancers are deliberately slow and ineffective in the way that they work. He held the clear belief that conveyancers should be paid on speed of result and this would bring about better results. We thought you might be interested in […]
The Changing Face of Conveyancing
“HSBC radical separate representation move splits market”; “Competition and choice under threat”; “Solicitors slam HSBC conveyancer panel”. These are only a few of the headlines that have been written concerning the decision by HSBC to reduce the number of solicitors who are to be retained on their conveyancing panel. It has been mooted by some […]
Peppermint Legal Service Platform to support iPads and Smartphones
Peppermint Technology have today announced that the next release of their Legal Service Platform, due in Q2 2012, will support the iPad, iPad2 and a selection of Smartphones, including the Windows phone, iPhone 3GS, Google Android and Blackberry. Ensuring that the Platform continues to provide both choice and flexibility the move will give users a […]
Firms agreeing to HSBC's conveyancing rules 'may face professional negligence claims'
Check with your insurer before giving undertakings to HSBC lawyers seems to be the message from Prime Professions. Prime Professions the large professional indemnity insurance broker have issued a news item on their website quoting a letter from SolicitorsPI.com another professional indemnity insurance broker stating “HSBC’s new rules regarding conveyancing could lead to firms that […]
Law Society responds to HSBC panel announcement
Last week The Law Society’ Chief Executive Desmond Hudson issued a call to action to solicitors over the HSBC restricted panel arrangements. Law Society statement Dear colleagues, Last week I met with senior representatives of HSBC to discuss the bank’s decision to appoint just 43 members to its lender panel. The meeting was cordial and […]
CLC responds to HSBC panel announcement
The CLC have issued a warning in response to the recent decision by HSBC to launch a lenders panel with just 43 members – a move which has raised a number of concerns amongst the profession. The warning press release is set out below in full. Warning CLC Chief Executive Victor Olowe said: "This recent […]
