A man posing as a mortgage adviser was sentenced after defrauding four victims of more than £203,000 through false claims about mortgage deposits, charges and solicitors’ fees. He used contact with estate agents, mortgage advisers and solicitors to lend credibility to the scam, but none of the stolen money was recovered.
The Planning Inspectorate has published non-statutory advice on notification and consultation procedures for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects that may have transboundary environmental impacts. The guidance explains how these duties operate under the Planning Act 2008 and related Environmental Impact Assessment and habitats legislation, including the role of Regulation 32 and the Secretary of State’s obligations to notify and consult relevant EEA States.
This article rounds up several proptech and legal-tech updates affecting conveyancing workflows, including deeper case management integrations, AML compliance automation, and new digital submission tools. It also notes product launches aimed at improving broker portals, post-completion processing, and survey-related services, with an incomplete final item about a knotweed surveyor app.
This profile of solicitor Freya Wright focuses on her residential conveyancing work at Bermans, including purchases, sales, remortgages, transfers of equity, first registrations and assents. She also comments on wider transaction issues, including the potential benefits of Scottish-style conveyancing processes, leasehold reform, and the practical difficulties created by the current Building Safety Act framework.
A landlord in Clitheroe was fined after failing to comply with an improvement notice relating to serious disrepair, including damp and mould, a defective boiler, faulty electrics and no hot water. The case followed repeated complaints from tenants and council inspections that found the required remedial works had not been completed.
The Upper Tribunal Tax and Chancery Chamber considered a stamp duty land tax dispute involving overpayment relief and whether a taxpayer was barred from claiming relief after the time to amend a land transaction return had expired. The tribunal held that the claim was not barred by section 44(9) of the Finance Act 2003 and dismissed the appeal.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has rebuked Preston-based Gowlings Solicitors Limited after it failed to comply with an undertaking in a conveyancing transaction within the agreed timescale. The firm had promised to redeem a mortgage on completion without first verifying the redemption figure, leaving a shortfall that had to be covered from its own office account before the matter was resolved.
The article outlines the legislation governing the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects development consent process, centred on the Planning Act 2008 and subsequent amending Acts. It also notes that legislation.gov.uk may not always reflect the most current amendments immediately, and points users to alternative sources for up-to-date legislation.
The Planning Inspectorate has published guidance on handling called-in planning applications, setting out expectations for timetables, correspondence, and the conduct of parties involved. It emphasises that the guidance is non-statutory, but that unreasonable behaviour can lead to costs awards and that material changes in circumstances must be reported promptly.
