Comment
Winds of change
Peter Rodd looks back at the developments of recent decades which have changed the face of conveyancing – and forward to the next big change: the Law Society’s Conveyancing Portal
Features
Stamping out avoidance
As stamp duty land tax reaches 10 years of age, Paul Clark examines its effectiveness, and explains how new anti-avoidance legislation which came into force in July has affected various aspects of the tax
Future trouble
Agreements attempting to give sellers a share in the increase in the value of land after it has been sold are fraught with difficulties. Michael Poulsom highlights some of the potential pitfalls to be avoided by practitioners
A valuable commodity
Richard Burcher pushes back against the perception that property work has become commoditised, and explains how the approach taken to communicating with clients about the cost of legal services can make all the difference in how a firm’s services are valued
Pushing the envelope
Chris Sykes explains how the government is seeking to prevent the practice by which residential property is held by companies based in tax haven jurisdictions to avoid stamp duty land tax – and warns that ‘de-enveloping’ can have important implications for inheritance tax
The fightback begins
Ian White experienced a surprisingly positive mood among embattled practitioners at the Property Section’s annual conference. He reports on the new weapon being developed for the solicitors’ profession as it seeks to fend off competition from other providers
Credit where it’s due
With tenant insolvency on the rise in the commercial sector, Simon Wood outlines the different potential approaches to dealing with an insolvent tenant, and examines the benefits and drawbacks of the various options
Poor conditions
Jonathan Smithers offers advice on how to comply with the Law Society’s Conveyancing Protocol in relation to standard and special conditions of sale, and warns against the unnecessary inclusion of additional conditions, with some practical examples
Passing the buck?
Chris Hall explains the new responsibilities likely to be imposed on landlords in an attempt to deter illegal immigration, and raises questions about the impact of the scheme, which he warns could become a revenue-generating exercise for government
Service industry
Roger Buston reviews an in-depth book on commercial and residential service charges, which successfully manages to pull together a number of often confusing threads of both regulation and case law to inform the busy practitioner
