Legal
The UK homebuying process could soon get a whole lot quicker…
Land Registry starts work on national Local Land Charges Register; confirms launch happening before the end of 2018...
Crime Agency secures first Unexplained Wealth Orders against two properties worth £22m
Ownerships of two properties in London and the South East are being investigated under new Criminal Finances powers, which have been dubbed the "McMafia Law"
Propertymark launches ‘Passport’ tool to help estate agents combat money laundering
Propertymark Passport uses biometric checks to assess the authenticity of identity documents from anywhere in the world
Outside the Envelope: April’s new inheritance regime for non-dom owners of UK residential property
Change is afoot for non-dom owners of UK property... From April, inheritance tax will be due on all residential properties in the UK, regardless of whether it's owned through an offshore entity...
Forward Thinking: Exploring a novel way of funding an ultra high value home
Sara Maccallum and Andrew Wilmot-Smith explain why the forward funding structure - long familiar to commercial developers - could be worth consideration in a difficult prime resi market...
Cornish homeowner wins ‘substantial’ knotweed case
13-year spat over Japanese Knotweed reiterates the obligations of landowners to eradicate the plant
Landmark Chambers appoints new practice manager
Top property and planning law practice names "superstar" as Senior Practice Manager
How exactly did you pay for that mansion? British government targets corrupt oligarchs in ‘McMafia style’ shakedown
"If they are an MP in a country where they don’t receive a big salary but suddenly they have a nice Knightsbridge townhouse worth millions and they can’t prove how they paid for it, we will seize that…
Court of Appeal rules on landmark leasehold case
Appeal dismissed in Trustees of the Sloane Stanley Estate v Mundy; ruling described as "devastating outcome for leaseholders up and down the country"
Nigerian prince ordered to pay £1m after mansion deal falls out of bed
High Court rules in favour of couple from Mill Hill after £5m sale fails to complete...
Watch: A guide to avoiding Land Registry requisitions
The Land Registry has produced a series of eight videos, which walk conveyancers and buyers through the necessary steps to avoid fraud and/or time-consuming and frustrating delays in the property paperwork.
https://youtu.be/qnoSFryboyg
https://youtu.be/Ks6GercJVoE
https://youtu.be/Z4XIZcC2hN0
https://youtu.be/7PL0u6FzbUU
https://youtu.be/fx7KMSVxaaw
https://youtu.be/rGXd9qSvfeM
https://youtu.be/zRk-5kuWg0A
New money laundering watchdog, with teeth, to launch in January
The Treasury has created a new watchdog to "tighten the UK’s defences against dirty money whilst minimising unnecessary burdens on legitimate business".