Land Registry announces enhancements to e-DRS
The Land Registry has made a couple of enhancements to their electronic Document Registration Service (e-DRS) to save customers time and money. The first allows you to send electronic applications to extend the term of an existing registered lease via the Land Registry portal. Secondly they have increased the file size limit for e-DRS attachments […]
Quick house sale companies commit to improvement
We reported back in August that the OFT had launched an investigation into several quick house sale firms for alleged unfair practices. The OFT concluded that quick house sale companies can provide a beneficial service for people who require a fast sale of their home, but identified some business practices that may not comply with […]
Gross mortgage lending up 30%
According to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders there was an estimated £17 billion of gross mortgage lending in November. Despite this being 4% lower than October’s figure of £17.6 billion, this was up 30% from the £13 billion lent in November 2012. CML chief economist Bob Pannell said: "Gross lending for […]
SRA finalises firms without insurance
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has finalised the work it needs to do to identify firms that have failed to secure a new insurance policy and are in the Extended Policy Period (EPP). Those firms have to find cover or properly close their practice by 29 December 2013. The SRA established that, as at 16 […]
New data released on mortgage lending by postcode
The major mortgage lenders have published details of their total outstanding residential mortgage lending (including most buy-to-let lending as well as home-owner lending) broken down over 9,030 postcode sectors across Great Britain. The aggregate mortgage data, compiled by the CML, covers Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society, Santander UK, RBS, and Clydesdale and […]
Director at Lloyds appointed Chairman of CML
Stephen Noakes, the mortgages director of Lloyds Banking Group, has been appointed chairman of the Council of Mortgage Lenders. He will start at the beginning of January, taking over from Nigel Terrington, chief executive of the Paragon Group of Companies, who has been chairman for the last year. Stephen Noakes joined Lloyds Banking Group in […]
Could your firm go viral for all the wrong reasons?
In 2014 we saw conveyancing clients pushing the boundaries of how they expressed their unhappiness with poor service. No longer is it just a letter to the senior partner, consumers are increasingly vocal. Despite all the regulatory arrangements imposed by the SRA, CLC and Legal Ombudsman clients are incresaingly using Twitter and Facebook to mount […]
Law Society comments on what SGM means for the Conveyancing Portal
On Tuesday we reported that a Law Society SGM had passed a vote of no confidence in the Law Society. The SGM was triggered by 118 criminal legal aid practitioners who were angered by the Society’s engagement strategy with the Ministry of Justice and argued that the Society had no mandate for the actions it […]
No Confidence in Law Society carried
By a vote today of 228 votes to 213, the assembled solicitors in Chancery Lane have passed a vote of no confidence in the Law Society. The motion stated “That the meeting has no confidence in the ability of Nicholas Fluck, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, and Desmond Hudson, Chief Executive […]
Land Register announces lower fees
Thanks to efficiency savings made in the last year by Land Registry customers will soon benefit from lower fees. A new Land Registration Fee Order was put to Parliament yesterday, Monday 16 December 2013 and is due to come into force on Monday 17 March 2014. As part of the governments “Digital by Default” strategy […]
Conveyancing Association Protocol ready to download
We reported earlier in the month that the Conveyancing Association (CA) had worked together with Connells, Move with Us, Countrywide and LSL Property Services, to develop the Conveyancing Protocol. The Protocol is now available to download, please click here to view. The protocol was launched on the 5th December at the Conveyancing Association’s Christmas Dinner […]
Ikbal v Sterling Law [2013] EWCH 3291 (Ch)
In the latest s.61 case, a firm of solicitors was found to be in breach of trust for parting with funds to criminals without effective completion. The Claimant (I) instructed Sterling Law (S) to act for him on the purchase of a property for £350,000. The transaction proceeded normally until, without any express agreement, S […]
House prices reach new record
The latest LSL house price index reveals average house prices in November have reached the record high of £238,839. Prices were up £1,400 from October and were up £11,219 from November 2012. Increases were seen across all regions of the UK for the second consecutive month. The survey predicts that by the end of the […]
JL Homes Ltd v Mortgage Express & Anor [2013] EWHC 3928 (Ch) (10 December 2013)
Introduction This case highlighted again the dangers of failing to properly grasp the issue of an appointment of an LPA Receiver and the failure to understand some basic principles under the Law of Property Act 1925 (“the 1925 Act”). The Judge Mr David Halpern QC observed “…The more times a thoroughly bad point is […]
Number of valuations up by a third
According to chartered surveyors Connells Survey & Valuation the number of valuations has increased by 33% from last year. This increase was despite a small dip in valuations during November. John Bagshaw, Corporate Services Director of Connells Survey & Valuation, said:“Despite a slight monthly dip, progress since the start of the year has truly transformed […]
How to sell your house this Christmas
According to a recent survey from Move with Us, 60% of estate agents believe it is twice as hard to sell a property during the Christmas period. As many as 23% felt it was three times as hard and 12% believed it was four times harder. Move with Us believe the best strategy is to […]
No season of seasonal lull in London
The London market has shown no sign of easing off for Christmas with sales up 2% in November from October and 56% year-on-year. According to the latest figures from Sequence, London continues to move at a faster rate than the rest of the country with sales nationwide seeing a 32% year-on-year increase and 1% from […]
Supply problems continue to plague market
The imbalance between supply and demand continues to have a market impact on the market with 38% less properties available than in December 2007. The latest Asking Price Index from www.home.co.uk raises concerns about what continued levels of high demand and low supply will mean for the market in the coming months. Lack of supply […]
Convey Law Cap Successful 2013 with National Award
National Conveyancing specialists Convey Law have capped a hugely successful 2013 by collecting a coveted Sunday Times Conveyancer of the Year Award. 2013 has been a fantastic year for the South Wales based residential conveyancing specialists in which they have achieved the Legal Eye Quality Standard and been awarded the Alterative Business Structure (ABS) status […]
Never a dull day in the 2013 conveyancing year
Stephen Murray, Business Development Director at PSG, talks us through the news and events that have impacted on our sector throughout the year. Well what a year 2013 has been for our sector. The housing market showing positive signs of recovery and growth, whilst most welcome, has only been one chapter in the story. A […]
