Legal
How to give professional advice to friends
Insurance & professional indemnity specialist Sarah Elderton offers guidance on what to do when friends approach you for professional property advice, while surveyor & building disputes expert Paul Greenwood t…
Law firm takes down government’s first crack at a reservation agreement
After a sneak preview of the first draft, Hart Brown dismisses the government's latest attempt at fixing the conveyancing system as 'well meaning but sadly way short of what is required'
A Right To A View? What the Tate Modern judgement tells us about privacy and glass walls
Sarah Reynolds takes a closer look at the recent High Court decision involving the Tate Modern and residents of Native Land's neighbouring NEO Bankside scheme, which should be of comfort to developers,…
Deals, Disputes & Dilemmas: On the complicated business of dual fees
Following the publication of new TPO guidance on dual fees, designed to curb the rising number of disputes, veteran agent Trevor Abrahmsohn steers us through the labyrinthine world of inter-agency dealings, …
Report calls for a ‘public interest test’ on Scottish estate sales to tackle ‘the socially corrosive effects of land monopoly’
Scotland's 'land monopoly' is 'socially corrosive', argues a major new report from the Scottish Land Commission, as it calls for a new 'public interest test' on large-scale land deals.
Guidance issued for agents on dual fees as disputes soar
'Disputes over dual fees have become an increasing cause for concern', says The Property Ombudsman, and the problem is 'reflecting poorly on the industry as a whole'
Why savvy sellers are shunning the referral fee route
The public is becoming wise to why some property lawyers have to pay fees to estate agents for new residential conveyancing business, says David Knapp
US developer claims portal published ‘inaccurate’ info about his $150m mega-mansion; sues for $60m
High-profile developer Bruce Makowsky files lawsuit against Zillow, claiming the real estate giant published 'misleading, false, and inaccurate information' about his $150m Bel Air super-home that 'corrupts …
Countrywide fined £215k in HMRC crackdown
UK's largest estate agency penalised for failing to comply with money laundering regulations; HMRC carries out week-long swoop on property firms around the country
Right to Rent breaches human rights laws, rules the High Court
Right to Rent "does not merely provide the occasion or opportunity for private landlords to discriminate," said the High Court Judge, "but causes them to do so where otherwise they would not."
PEPs, SARs & MLROs: An A to Z of Anti-Money Laundering
As "gatekeepers", estate agents play a crucial role in the UK Government's ongoing efforts to stamp out money laundering and terrorism financing
Buyers take vendor to court over ‘angry neighbour’
Couple accuse former owner of failing to flag up dispute in pre-sale documents