Developer’s scam leaves buy to let purchasers £12m out of pocket (EAT)
Six directors have been banned from office after misleading over 300 people who bought new build homes in the north of England.
Phil Spencer slams developers over leasehold houses (EAT)
Developers have continued to sell thousands of new-build houses with leaseholds, despite a government pledge to ban the “unscrupulous” practice a year ago.
£10,000 Property Reduction Caused By Consecutive Monthly Price Falls (TC)
Rightmove’s December property index has found that two consecutive and significant property price drops has meant that properties are now £10,000 cheaper than they were three months ago.
Conveyancer who overcharged for search fees is suspended (LF)
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 […]
Scottish Budget raises its version of Stamp Duty surcharge from 3% to 4% (PIE)
The Scottish Government has proposed raising the levy on its version of the Stamp Duty surcharge, the Additional Dwelling Supplement, for purchases of additional properties, from 3% to 4%.
RICS expands approval of The Property Ombudsman service (LSG)
From 1 January 2019, The Property Ombudsman will be approved by RICS to provide Alternative Dispute Resolution on all surveying services provided to consumers.
Number of conveyancing firms at all-time low (LSG)
Large firms are dominating the conveyancing sector as their smaller competitors fall victim to market consolidation, analysis of Land Registry data suggests.
Leap Best Practice scheme celebrates a year on from launch (IC)
Best Practice scheme helps law firms mitigate risk, increase compliance and reduce professional indemnity insurance premiums.
Law firms “will stop using email within five years” (LF)
Email will be replaced within five years by a more secure means of communication for law firms, an expert predicted.
Robot auctioneer sells first UK property in binding transaction (LSG)
A commercial industrial property in Wiltshire, has become the first in Britain to be sold by an automated auctioneer in a binding transaction avoiding a legal ambiguity created by conventional […]
Controversial £500,000 PII limit plan kicked into long grass (LSG)
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has put reform of the professional insurance indemnity market on the back-burner, it was confirmed yesterday.
Multiplicity of legal regulators “not helping AML fight” (LF)
The “multiplicity” of legal and accountancy regulators in the UK is not helping the fight against money laundering, the Financial Action Task Force has complained.