Category: conveyancing

Negligence in Residential Leasehold Conveyancing – Dealing with Protected Residential Tenancies – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 19th, 2019 in conveyancing, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, licensing, negligence, news, solicitors by sally

‘This article will look at just one of the (numerous) issues of which transactional solicitors need to be aware when dealing with residential conveyancing: protected residential tenancies. The following samples the chapter on Residential Leasehold Conveyancing in the Law Society’s latest publication: Risk & Negligence in Property Transactions edited by John de Waal QC.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 15th February 2019

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Conveyancer who overcharged for search fees is suspended – Legal Futures

Posted December 18th, 2018 in client accounts, conveyancing, disciplinary procedures, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor who regularly overcharged clients for search fees and transferred money from client to office account without their consent has been suspended for two years by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).’

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Legal Futures, 18th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firm sanctioned over conveyancing conflicts – Legal Futures

Posted November 6th, 2018 in conflict of interest, conveyancing, disciplinary procedures, fines, law firms, news by sally

‘A law firm that also owns an estate agency and acted for seller, buyer and as the seller’s agent in 14 residential conveyancing transactions has been fined over the conflict of interest this generated.’

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Legal Futures, 5th November 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Conveyancers liable for registration error despite mortgage fraud – Legal Futures

Posted September 14th, 2018 in conveyancing, fraud, mortgages, negligence, news, public interest by tracey

‘There is “no public interest” in allowing a negligent conveyancer to avoid liability when they did not know that their client was actually engaged in mortgage fraud, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 14th September 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Land Registration Act shape up could build on fraud fighting efforts and make conveyancing better for everyone – Law Commission

Posted July 24th, 2018 in bills, conveyancing, fraud, land registration, press releases by tracey

‘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 £60million in indemnity payments because of fraud over the past decade. As a result, it’s recommending measures to help prevent fraud from taking place in registered land, alongside wider technical changes to the law which will make conveyancing “faster, easier and cheaper for everyone”.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 24th July 2018

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk/

Appeal rules against seller’s solicitors in crucial Dreamvar liability case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 16th, 2018 in compensation, conveyancing, fraud, news, sale of land, solicitors by tracey

‘Solicitors representing fraudulent property vendors should share responsibility along with those representing the duped buyers for any resulting losses, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a widely awaited decision.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th May 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

First digital mortgage added to Land Register as blockchain conveyancer adopts AI – Legal Futures

Posted April 5th, 2018 in artificial intelligence, computer programs, conveyancing, documents, electronic filing, land registration, mortgages, news by sally

‘The first digital mortgage deed was entered into the Land Register today following collaboration and testing with Coventry Building Society and Enact Conveyancing.’

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Legal Futures, 5th April 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Starham v Greene King – Falcon Chambers

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in conveyancing, damages, easements, interpretation, licensing, news, planning, restrictive covenants by sally

‘In 2014, Starham bought a piece of land on the Harrow Road. Most of the land was being used as a beer garden by the Masons Arms pub, owned by Greene King. Starham claimed this use was a trespass. Greene King claimed it was entitled to use the land as a beer garden by virtue of a right created by a conveyance dated 24 August 1855 which it said was an easement or a restrictive covenant.’

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Falcon Chambers, November 2017

Source: www.falcon-chambers.com

Law Society accreditation scheme advert ‘misled’ public – BBC News

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in advertising, complaints, conveyancing, law firms, Law Society, news, solicitors, standards by sally

‘The Law Society misled the public over the expertise of solicitors in a scheme set up to help property buyers and sellers in England and Wales, the advertising watchdog has ruled.’

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BBC News, 22nd November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government floats referral fee ban and acting for both sides in bid to improve home-buying process – Legal Futures

Posted October 23rd, 2017 in consultations, conveyancing, estate agents, fees, news, sale of land, solicitors by sally

‘A ban on estate agents charging solicitors referral fees along with loosening the restriction on conveyancers acting for both seller and buyer were suggested by the government yesterday as possible reforms to improve the home-buying process.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd October 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The Ombudsman ordered Lloyds to repay us £47,500 – and then changed its mind’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 27th, 2017 in banking, compensation, conveyancing, fraud, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘A couple who were told by the Financial Ombudsman they would be repaid more than £47,000 stolen in a conveyancing scam have now been told, more than a year later, that they will not be getting their money back.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th July 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Law firms, legal executives and licensed conveyancers join forces to lobby for leasehold reform

Posted June 21st, 2017 in conveyancing, housing, law firms, Law Society, leases, legal executives, news by sally

‘A new property law alliance, the Legal Sector Group (LSG), has written to the government, with a detailed set of proposals on leasehold reform.’

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Legal Futures, 21st June 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Socrates case stayed for quantum discussions as tribunal orders Law Society to pay up to £230,000 in costs – Legal Futures

Posted June 5th, 2017 in appeals, budgets, competition, continuing professional development, conveyancing, costs, damages, Law Society, news, tribunals by tracey

‘The fall-out from the decision that the Law Society breached competition law looks set to last for several more months after the Competition Appeal Tribunal laid out the timetable for determining damages.’

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Legal Futures, 5th June 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Conveyancing: time to modernise & move on – New Law Journal

Posted May 30th, 2017 in case management, conveyancing, news by sally

‘Succeeding in today’s market requires expertise, investment & a touch of excellence, says Peter Ambrose.’

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New Law Journal, 26th May 2017

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Blockchain technology will be “game changer” in conveyancing – Legal Futures

Posted April 27th, 2017 in computer programs, consultations, contracts, conveyancing, land registration, mortgages, news, sale of land by sally

‘Blockchain-backed ‘smart contracts’ will be a “game changer” in property transactions, increasing certainty for buyers and sellers as well as speeding up the house-buying process, it has been claimed.’

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Legal Futures, 26th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New-build ground rent scandal could spark legal battles – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2016 in conveyancing, negligence, news, rent, solicitors by sally

‘With thousands of homebuyers caught out by rapidly rising rents, the solicitors they used may face claims of professional negligence.’

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The Guardian, 19th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stamp duty aftershock triggers rollercoaster ride for conveyancers ahead of Brexit vote – Legal Futures

Posted August 25th, 2016 in conveyancing, news, stamp duty, taxation by sally

‘Conveyancing activity in Q2 followed a rollercoaster journey with transactions jumping by almost a quarter (24%) year-on-year – up from 230,430 to 286,425 – as completions were registered following the rush to beat the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) changes for buy-to-let properties and second homes on 1 April 2016, according to the latest edition of the Conveyancing Market Tracker from Search Acumen, the search provider.’

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Legal Futures, 25th August 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Offline conveyancers could face stamp duty penalties – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 16th, 2016 in consultations, conveyancing, electronic filing, law firms, news, penalties, solicitors, stamp duty by sally

‘Solicitors could face penalties for not filing stamp duty returns online, under proposed government reforms to the conveyancing process.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 15th August 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Who regulates? – Competition and regulation in the legal sector – Legal Futures

Posted July 7th, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, conveyancing, legal services, news by sally

‘Regulation is put into place because markets are not perfect. Legal services are infrequent purchases for most people, so the asymmetry of knowledge and power between provider and consumer is especially marked.’

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Legal Futures, 6th July 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Fraud victims outside London have ‘little chance’ of police help – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 6th, 2016 in conveyancing, fraud, internet, London, news, police, solicitors, statistics, victims by Mark L

‘Fraud victims outside London whose cases are reported to the police have “little chance of any kind of investigation”, an authoritative study has found.’

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Daily Telegraph, 6th July 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk