Beware of Home Information Pack Penalties !

In an attempt to avoid a £300 Home Information Pack cost, The Conservative Party have claimed that half of all home sales are going through without a HIP.

Grant Shapps has highlighted this failure to observe the law and has promised to scrap HIPs if and when the Conservatives win the next election.

Fridaysmove have seen a few cases where Fridaysmove have acted for buyers where the seller's conveyancing lawyers have not provided a HIP.

These claims made by the Conservatives and revealed in the Daily Mail may well prompt Local Authorities ( who have the task of enforcing HIP legislation ) into action. It is clear that, up until now, councils have been spending little if any time and money on trying to enforce the regime, at a time when they have so much more to focus on.

Local Authorities ( via Trading Standards ) have the power to levy repeated £200 fines.

Research by Ipsos MORI has found that buyers' conveyancing solicitors are telling them that HIPs' 'quality could not be trusted'.

Grant Shapps said: ''We should not be surprised that half of all house sales are now disregarding this pointless and expensive red tape. This widespread derision and evasion of the regulations proves how HIPs are deeply flawed."

He added: "We don't condone breaking the law. But rather than feebly attempt to enforce this bad law, these regulations should just be scrapped."

It will be interesting to see if  Mr Shapps' words will prompt a few more investigations and some fines being levied.

..............Sellers and Agents beware !!