The Property Codes Compliance Board has taken what it says is an “unusual step” in publicly criticizing some local councils who they say are holding up property transactions through “very poor service”.
Delays in conveyancing are the second most common cause of sales falling through. Whist the PCCB say the majority perform well, they board said a growing number are performing “woefully” with Wiltshire singled out for particular criticism.
Kate Davies, Chairman of the PCCB said: “we are very concerned that the home buying and selling public are being adversely affected by very poor performance by some local authorities and in some cases transactions are breaking down due to the delays. If you live in Wiltshire for example, it is an accident of geography if a lawyer can expect to receive searches back in 6 days or 6 weeks, and this is totally unacceptable.
“If Local Authorities are unable to produce their own LLC1 and CON29 in a few days, they should at the minimum allow regulated personal search companies immediate access to their data so that delays are eliminated from the process.”
Kate Faulkner from Propertychecklists.co.uk and the PCCB Board said: “With the property market in its current state of uncertainty, the last thing that prospective homebuyers and sellers need is unnecessary delays for which there is absolutely no excuse.
“Regulated Personal Search Companies are being frustrated in their ability to deliver first class service to their lawyer clients by a number of local authorities who are taking far longer to provide access to data than their colleagues in other authorities. Buying and selling homes is stressful enough without local authorities not taking seriously the vital need to provide information quickly.”
