Committee Chair responds to Land Registry privatisation consultation (TC)
Tory MP and Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has expressed concerns over the potential privatisation of Land Registry.
Leasehold reform blow over landlord redress (LSG)
The government has ruled out forcing landlords of leasehold properties to belong to a redress scheme, dealing a blow to conveyancers seeking urgent reform of leasehold legislation.
Senior Tory MP is latest to raise concern at Land Registry sell-off threat (EAT)
MP Bernard Jenkin, the chairman of the public administration committee, is the latest to raise concerns at the possible privatisation of the Land Registry.https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2016/7/senior-tory-mp-is-latest-to-raise-concern-at-land-registry-sell-off-threat
Law Society issues new practice note on use of electronic signatures in contracts (EAT)
The Law Society has issued a new practice note confirming that most commercial contracts governed by English law can be validly signed with an electronic signature rather than needing ink […]
Mortgage and propety fraud up 50% this year (TC)
Mortgage and property fraud have increased by 50% in the past year according to a study by information services company Experian.
Couples buying jointly with unequal deposit contributions routinely foregoing legal protection (TC)
A third of couples who buy houses together with unequal contributions to the deposit will avoid getting any legal protection for their proportion of the asset as a whole for […]
Price index “will bring transparency” to legal fees (LF)
A lawyer-matching platform has answered the growing clamour for charging transparency with a price index based on its database of 15,000 quotes, broken down into detailed categories of commercial work.
Chair of Legal Sevices Consumer Panel calls for firms to publish average prices (TC)
The Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel says publishing average prices could be “the catalyst needed for consumers to make detailed enquiries about cost.”
Ministers urged to abolish ‘disastrous’ Stamp Duty to help solve housing crisis (PIE)
All rates of Stamp Duty should be halved immediately and then scrapped altogether, while the 3% surcharge on buy-to-let properties and second homes should be ditched without delay.
Revealed: the conveyancers most frequently mentioned by LeO (TC)
In total there were 344 firms subject to 460 decisions.
Amount firms lose to cyber criminals jumps 40% in 12 months (TC)
The amount UK law firms lose to criminals online has risen by 40% over the last year with firms losing an estimated £2.53 million in the six months to April […]
Pair of Solicitors to attempt standup in front of 450 for charity (TC)
A pair of Solicitors from Sheffield based Proddow Mackay are to attempt to make 450 stoney faced punters laugh as part of a charity fundraiser.