TheSecretConveyancer

Monday, 902am Receptionist: Mr Smith is on the phone, did you get the email he sent you yesterday. Me: Yes Receptionist: Do you want me to tell him anything else? Me: No.

After a bit of time off I return to the office to find we now have a third bin in the office kitchen, a food waste bin, which should be emptied and disposed of by an approved food waste disposal company. Alternatively we can just bag it up and stick it in the public litter bin...

@lanarkboy @simonhaslam8 @propertylaw1925 @Scott_Wortley If you were buying cash it’s your prerogative to make that decision but if you were getting a mortgage your conveyancer has to sign off on the basis of lender requirements

@simonhaslam8 @propertylaw1925 @Scott_Wortley Absolutely. It was dirt cheap. I just objected on a point of principle that it was absurd. I then realised that conveyancing people are not rational so had to buy it.

If only there was a publicly accessible land register which detailed every transaction affecting land like, you know, the existing land register. True, scotland's is better because registration was required from 1617 before blockchain was invented but England has had a century

@propertylaw1925 @simonhaslam8 @lanarkboy @Scott_Wortley No we don’t

@simonhaslam8 @lanarkboy @Scott_Wortley Not necessarily and might still affect land if it’s not been transferred since 2013. But many are. And purchasers often scared into buying insurance to cover it when there is zero risk. Genuine Q - do conveyancers get a fee from insurers for referring clients for this insurance?

@GoonerGirl1969 Chin up nearly there We got the bulk done today just a couple of stragglers

@the_conveyancer I don't know how you're coping. I had 3 Sims today plus a further 2 Completions. Tomorrow is 1 exchange 🙏🏻 and 3 Completions and don't talk to me about Monday, Monday is absolutely frightening... I'm living for 5.30pm Monday 31st and have been for a while.

The next 3 working days are going to be the most stressful days I've had in years in the property industry. This bloody stamp duty deadline expires Monday evening & we've got Exchanges/Completions galore. Bring it on, I'm bloody exhausted, but bring it on... #SDLTDEADLINE

@_puppycatt @DrRJWebb @Cray_tweets1 @doctor_dru_ No idea, good point. I’m thankfully not ft resi I have a mixed caseload with some commercial, landowners, small developers etc I could not do an 80 file fixed fee full on resi job. Got someone who works for me and does that, I mean the crap she puts up with is ridiculous

@DrRJWebb @Cray_tweets1 @doctor_dru_ Average caseload is about 80 files. Almost all conveyancing is fixed fee not hourly rates, so it’s high volume, low margin. A fixed fee wont get your conveyancers undivided attention for the 4 or 5 months it takes, that’s the way it has to be unless you want to pay hourly rates…

@DrRJWebb @Cray_tweets1 @doctor_dru_ Interesting thread! We spend a LOT of time being chased, by clients and agents, and at the request of both chasing up other people. Some days the chasing and updating takes up a few hours. And ultimately I don’t think it achieves much.

@Raycrud Classic, did you?

@the_conveyancer Wannabe litigators. In the 90s I had an opponent who refused to complete unless we paid interest for late completion not only on the purchase price but also on the service charge apportionment. I pointed out this was 7p and asked if I could paste the coins to a comp slip.

I do residential conveyancing but split my time between resi and commercial property You'd think it would be the commercial lot that can "start an argument in an empty room" Not all actually, resi solicitors are definitely more pointlessly confrontational

@dontdelay Is it because they're selfish and entitled?

‘Pensions don’t even meet living wage’ Why do so many people expect the state to pay them the ‘living wage’ once retired? When they’re no longer likely to have housing, childcare or commuting costs? And after they’ve had 50 years to accumulate state provided or state subsidised workplace or private pensions.

@proptechpioneer @integraps And where are the banks in this? Im forced to treat money already in the banking system as dodgy until shown otherwise?

@integraps is aml that big of an issue? this can be done pretty quickly imv its the fact that alot of the information takes so long to collect - like searches, if for example writing R1's in Aus can be done very quickly bc searches take about 30 seconds.

if a vendor advertises a property worth £85k for £100k and a buyer buys it for £90k they didnt get a 10% discount they paid 5.8% over market value

@integraps @proptechpioneer ID is easy enough, proof of funds is a pain in the arse. How many people just have one savings account they’ve never touched for six months. Not many it turns out, so you end up having to through a shed load of bank statements.

@proptechpioneer ID checks can be done, in most cases, quickly, but required risk assessments and, particularly source (not proof of) of wealth/funds can be complex. Particularly key for conveyancers as funds usually pass through their banks.

@taylorA841 @SimonApperley Done it once, difficult once you’re instructed. Try and weed out the awkward ones before taking them on. Kind of get a nose for it but it doesn’t always work.

@jhrbroad @BristOliver @lydiajo I’ve got one of their umbrellas Surprisingly good quality for a freebie…..

@BristOliver @lydiajo My favourite was Isis Legal Indemnities, a group offering insurance on conveyancing matters which not only had the name but had genuinely selected branding of white lettering on a black background. Their freebie calendar got me a few looks at work!

@HappyConveying Is being cheery part of the job now?

Feeling guilty this morning. When I exchange contracts for first time buyers, I try to sound excited when I tell them. I was so busy yesterday that I forgot to do that with a client who was underwhelmed by my tone (polite but matter-of-fact).

@SecretConveySol best crack on then...

Email from client who is buying via a bridging loan on new property and his existing property. Waiting for replies to enquiries and loan documentation. Asks if we can complete THIS FRIDAY.

@karenbaker144 I guess that puts a slightly different slant on it, but raises the question where was the supervision and oversight, and has the firm been hauled over the coals for lack thereof?

@the_conveyancer I agree with your comments on this - terrifying stuff - but having read the judgement there are breaches of undertakings all over the place with dire consequences. This smacks to me as someone dealing with transactions outside of his expertise / comfort zone.

Article in today's Law Society Gazette: Solicitor acts for buyer and bank He fails to register the purchase and mortgage and thus breaches his undertaking to the bank to register the mortgage He is negligent and is sacked So far so (not so) good, but perhaps understandable 1/6

@Torryder I’m going with none and a lot?

@the_conveyancer Just remind me, how many at the SRA lost their jobs due to the Axiom Ince debacle? And how much did that cost the profession?

@2022kbkb Haha about right

@the_conveyancer Don't miss the world of conveyancing. Never did it myself, but was involved for over a decade with conveyancers. For every solid, decent conveyancer there were 4 complete retarded wankstains. Have to constantly remind myself not all conveyancers are dicks.

Developers solicitors: we will supply searches Me: right oh, thanks Contract pack received Searches are dated 2018....