The article reports a positive reaction from property sector bodies to Andy Burnham’s new cabinet, with Angela Rayner returning as housing secretary, Matthew Pennycook remaining in post, and John Healey appointed chancellor. Commentators emphasise the need for housing delivery, stable policy, leasehold reform, and continued progress on home buying and selling reforms.
The article reports that the Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued significant fines to conveyancing firms for anti-money laundering breaches, with risk assessment failures and weak source of funds checks featuring prominently. It also notes that the SRA is revisiting historical matters, reinforcing the need for contemporaneous, well-evidenced compliance records.
The article warns that AI-enabled onboarding and marketing language can blur the distinction between Source of Funds and Source of Wealth checks in conveyancing. It explains that while AI can improve the presentation and review of financial evidence, it does not change the scope of the underlying AML check or remove the need for professional judgement.
The article describes a conveyancer’s experience acting for buyers who entered a modern method of auction purchase without fully understanding the implications. A dispute arose over a 56-day deadline and a threatened forfeiture of a reservation fee, alongside concerns that the title was not mortgageable due to missing documents relating to an unregistered leasehold interest.
The article reports reactions from the legal and property sectors to Andy Burnham’s accession as Labour leader and the formation of a new government. The Law Society is urging support for legal aid, court reform and regional legal growth, while property commentators are calling for continued reform of the home buying process and greater clarity on future property tax policy.
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers has renewed its call for HM Land Registry to review its approach to qualified electronic signatures, arguing that current guidance may not reflect the practical and evidential realities of conveyancing. While supporting digital transformation, the SLC says execution rules need more flexibility for complex, multi-party transactions and mixed-signature scenarios.
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has rejected criticism from the Legal Services Consumer Panel, saying the panel misrepresented its response to issues around conditional selling and referral fees. The CLC says it acted on market intelligence, is reviewing transparency and consumer protections, and is gathering further evidence ahead of recommendations following a thematic review of referral fees.
The article argues that reducing requisitions in the conveyancing process is a shared responsibility between conveyancers and HM Land Registry (HMLR). It notes a reported 7% fall in avoidable requisitions raised by the profession, while also highlighting HMLR’s own review of its requisition practices and its plans to consult on further improvements.
The operations director of X-Press Legal Services has been appointed to the Digital Property Market Steering Group, which is helping shape the government’s home buying and selling roadmap. The article highlights a push for responsible digitalisation of conveyancing, with emphasis on data provenance, privacy, security, transparency and the role of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.
