Managing client expectations around the stamp duty holiday deadline
The SDLT holiday has boosted the housing market, but increased pressure on solicitors to complete transactions before the deadline in March 2021. Peter Rodd and Sarah Dwight share advice on what you can do now to manage clients’ expectations
Calls for government to reduce pressure ahead of stamp duty holiday deadline
The Law Society has called on the government to take action ahead of the stamp duty land tax holiday deadline on 31 March 2021.
Friends with benefits? Identifying beneficial owners in complex structures
Kate Andrews considers a High Court case which involved identifying the beneficial owner of a property, so that a judgment debt could be enforced.
How’s it looking? Grounds for refusing planning consent
Kate Andrews looks at the case of 89 Holland Park Management Ltd v Hicks [2020] EWCA Civ 758, where the Court of Appeal reviewed the grounds for reasonably refusing consent under a restrictive covenant.
Law Society responds to consultation on land control data
The Law Society has published our response to a consultation on improving the transparency of contractual mechanisms, such as land options, used to exercise control over land.
Land Registry resumes cancellation for applications
From 16 November 2020, HM Land Registry will resume cancelling applications with outstanding requests for information.
UK Finance to move the Mortgage Lenders' Handbook to a new webpage
UK Finance will be moving the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook to a new webpage on 29 July 2020.
Lend an ear
Peter Rodd reports on the results of a survey about the challenges conveyancers face when working with mortgage lenders
After the fire
Following the Grenfell fire, freeholders and leaseholders are facing significant difficulties in ensuring their homes are safe and that defective cladding is replaced. Oliver Pannell provides an update on the government’s response and recent case law
Open house
In the second of our new series on social housing, James Stone considers the potential impact on the sector of the government’s manifesto proposals and proposed legislative programme, including the extension of the right-to-buy scheme
At your service
In the third in his series on what property solicitors need to know about different phases of the development process, Gavin Le Chat looks at drainage and the supply of services
Building Safety Bill – share your views
In July 2020, the government produced a draft Building Safety Bill, which also makes provision for the New Homes Ombudsman.
The drinks business
Niall McCann and Richard Williams look at what property solicitors need to know when acting on transactions involving licensed premises where the tenant or owner is insolvent
Clear water
If you are acting for a buyer of a property on a water course, do you know the rights they might have, and the liabilities that might arise? Richard Bagwell outlines the principles
HMRC withdraws VAT concession for property searches by post
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced that the VAT ‘postal concession’ will be formally withdrawn on 1 December 2020.
VAT on searches - new guidance for conveyancers
The Law Society has issued new guidance for conveyancers amid continuing uncertainty over the imposition of VAT on local authority searches.
