Recent Property Legal Updates in Plymouth

Local Plymouth law firm, Wolferstans, is one of the first in the area to be accredited under the recently introduced Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme for excellence in Conveyancing.

The scheme provides a recognised quality standard for residential Conveyancing practices which ensures clients and lenders can be satisfied that Solicitors are of a consistently high standard based on the aims of the Law Society. It also confirms the department has established a level of credibility based upon integrity, good practice management standards and adherence to prudent and efficient procedures.

Jackie Goodfellow of the Plymouth Land Registry office at Seaton Court, 2 William Prince Road, Plymouth, PL6 5WS commented on the effects that the scheme will have on Conveyancing in Plymouth, saying:

“Any additional checks to endeavour to prevent fraudsters impersonating practices and fraudulently getting their details on The Law Society website must be beneficial to both the profession and their clients. Enhanced understanding of property fraud and how firms may be targeted by fraudsters must also be beneficial to any practice that deals with Conveyancing as well as the profession’s reputation as a whole. Likewise improving Conveyancing standards to reduce the level of claims against PPI must be beneficial for the whole profession and our reputation. Whether or not the new scheme will be effective, it is probably too early to judge.”

Goodfellow also addresses the delays in residential Conveyancing in Plymouth as a result of lenders taking additional time to discharge mortgage charges at the registry: “In some cases there will be a refusal to discharge the charge because there remains a dispute about the amount due to be repaid under the charge or because the moneys have not actually been paid.”

Solicitors acting on behalf of sellers in Plymouth should ensure that their clients will be financially able to pay off any charges in the beginning stages of the transaction to ensure that there are no delays in the transfer of the property to purchasers and also to accommodate the formalities that must occur at the land registry.