Heat rising over SRA plan for solicitors in unregulated firms (LF)
The Legal Services Board has received unprecedented lobbying against the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s plans to allow solicitors to practise from unregulated businesses.
Law Commission seeks ‘impossible consensus’ as it launches leasehold reform consultation (PIE)
The Law Commission has unveiled its long-awaited consultation on leasehold reform, admitting that achieving consensus between landlords and leaseholders will be impossible.
Hatched to close as Connells says online model ‘not sustainable’ (PIE)
Online estate agency Hatched will be closing to all new business with immediate effect, Connells Group has just announced.
Fixed costs regime floated for leaseholders (LSG)
A fixed costs regime and single tribunal to deal with disputes are among proposals being mooted by the Law Commission to make the home ownership process fairer, less expensive and […]
What now for faster house sales as search roll out ‘could take seven years’? (EAT)
HM Land Registry says the full roll-out of its Local Land Charges digital register could take up to seven years, with the final decision on timings down to government ministers.
Online agents are lambasted by solicitors for causing hold-ups in transactions (PIE)
Solicitors have hit out at online agents as causing delays in transactions.
Housing transactions slide to their lowest level for five years (PIE)
A new report out this morning says that last month an estimated 79,900 transactions completed, down 4% on the same month last year, and the lowest since 2013.
Solicitors attack latest ‘professional enablers’ slur (LSG)
Lawyers have been labelled ’professional enablers’ of financial crime in the latest move to clamp down on suspicious wealth.
Negligent law firm to pay claimant £78k – despite her ‘tainted with illegality’ purchase (LSG)
The Court of Appeal has upheld a damages award against a negligent law firm – despite it being widely acknowledged that the winning claimant was involved in mortgage fraud.
Conveyancers liable for registration error despite mortgage fraud (LF)
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 […]
No commission, no fees – meet the agency selling homes ‘for free’ (EAT
An estate agency is pioneering a new business model in which it charges no commission whatsoever to the vendor.
Emoov boss in Twitter outburst describing Mark Carney as “dangerous” (EAT)
Bank of England governor Mark Carney says a no-deal Brexit exit could lead to a 35 per cent house price crash.