The HMRC deadline has passed and all Local Authorities have now added VAT to the Con29. This has been updated accordingly in tmconvey.

[Please note, the original blog post below has been left in place for archive reference only.]

Local Authorities have been given the option by HMRC to implement the addition of VAT to the Con29 between the dates of 1st Jan 2017 and 31st March 2017.

As a central data provider, we are working hard to find out when each local authority is planning to make the changes in order to keep you informed, and also to ensure the pricing on our system is accurate and up to date for you. 

Below is a list of the Local Authorities for which there is a known price change date and we will actively keep this list up to date over the coming months as we gather more information. If a Local Authority do not appear on this list then their date for adding VAT to the Con29 is not yet known. The newest information is highlighted red for your convenience.

Rest assured that if the prices of local searches are increased and/or VAT is added, the tmconvey ordering platform will be up to date at the point of ordering and you need make no other changes.

If you have any further questions please contact our helpdesk on 0844 2499200 or email helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk

(TABLE UPDATED 02-03-2017) 

PlanVal mining alerts are now available on tmconvey. 

The new MiningCheck Alerts assess a property against a wealth of data to alert conveyancing solicitors and their clients to the materials that have been mined on the land; both recently and historically. 

The new MiningCheck Alerts follow the recent release of two new mining products in November, also available to order on tmconvey:

• PlanVal Coal Mining Search with Professional Opinion

• PlanVal Non-Coal Mining Search with Professional Opinion

Click here for more information

The new MiningCheck Alerts enable conveyancing solicitors to advise their clients as to whether it is necessary for them to order a complete Coal Mining Search or Non-Coal Mining Search before proceeding with their purchase. 

Isn’t mining just a risk in Cornwall and the North East?

According to PlanVal data, there are mining risk areas in every county in England and Wales; with 34% of land being in a mining risk area. 

Mining risks are not just a problem for home movers in the North and the Midlands (coal), or in Cornwall (tin), as 63 minerals have been mined, quarried or extracted across England and Wales.  

These new MiningCheck Alerts enable solicitors to confidently advise whether a client’s property is situated in a mining risk area; even when it isn’t overtly obvious. 

If you have any questions, please talk to your Account Manager for more information, or contact Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk.

In February 2016, a couple discovered that a planning application had been registered with Wiltshire Council for their farm cottage to be surrounded by a new 700-home estate, destroying miles of fields and the idyllic location of their property.

This news was especially devastating for the couple, as they had embarked on extensive renovations to the property since purchasing it five years previously; increasing the value from approximately £300,000 to £425,000.

Although a public exhibition was held in December 2014, and an advert was placed in the Wiltshire-based Gazette and Herald, the couple were not directly consulted or given the opportunity to register their objections before the developers applied for planning permission.

The discovery was only made after the planning application had been registered

This vital information was only conveyed to the couple by chance, after the planning application had been registered, through a conversation with a local resident while they were out walking their dogs.

Upon learning of the plans, the couple were also shocked to find that their home didn’t even appear on the submitted aerial drawings of the proposed new estate, despite it being in the middle of the site.

The final decision has yet to be made

Fortunately, at the point the couple made the discovery, comments were still invited until 27th May 2016, giving them the chance to put forward their concerns before a final decision was made; albeit later than the couple would have preferred.

However, as it currently stands (true as of 4th January 2017), a holding direction has been placed on the planning application, which is expected to delay a final decision for many months.

This far exceeds the original target date for a decision, which was set for 16th December 2016, and ultimately prolongs the period of stress and uncertainty for the couple.

The coupled could have sold the property and unwittingly passed on the risk of it devaluing, as Paul Albone, Managing Director at tmgroup, comments:

“While this couple have clearly been unlucky, this could have also been a very sorry situation for a potential buyer, as had plans been in motion to sell the cottage, the couple could have unwittingly passed on the property as well as the risk of it devaluing.

This situation highlights the very real risks associated with property investment, and the devastation that new plans and developments can have on the surrounding properties – especially in idyllic locations.

It also emphasises the fundamental importance of requesting searches, such as the Groundsure Planning Search Report, and understanding exactly what you are buying before committing to a purchase; even more so if you are new to an area and would never benefit from a ‘passer-by’ sharing local news.”

About the Groundsure Planning Search Report

The Groundsure Planning Search Report provides key information about planning applications for house extensions, small and large projects, and mobile masts in close proximity to the property; as well as local information about infrastructure, crime and education statistics.

This report is available to order through the tmconvey platform. 

You can view sample reports here for both Residential and Commercial

HMRC has announced that CON29 searches provided by Local Authorities will include VAT from 1^st January 2017.

Will this affect the price of local searches?

It is not yet clear how prices will be affected. Some Local Authorities have indicated that they will absorb the cost of the VAT; some will take the opportunity to review their pricing altogether; some will simply add VAT to their Con29s; and others have yet to decide.

 If prices do increase, then it is only the Con29 element of the local search (& any optional questions) that would be affected, as the LLC1 element of the search remains non-vatable.

 What does this mean for my clients?

 If prices are affected, then it would be prudent for conveyancers to inform clients of this potential increase.

 What should I do?

 We will keep you informed, giving you as much notice as possible of any price changes. Rest assured that if the prices of local searches are increased, VAT will be added at the point of order, as with other searches and you need make no other change.

 If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your account manager or the helpdesk by calling 0844 249 9200 or emailing helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk

PlanVal have released two new mining products, which are now available to order on tmconvey:

    > PlanVal Coal Mining Search with Professional Opinion

    > PlanVal Non-Coal Mining Search with Professional Opinion

These products are being added to the range of mining products on tmconvey in replacement of PlanVal’s current range of mining products, and are both accepted by Banks and Building Societies.

These checks are also part of PlanVal's branded products, combining data with a professional recommendation from Mining Searches UK, backed by Professional Indemnity Insurance cover.

PlanVal Coal Mining Search with Professional Opinion

The standardised format of the search puts a colour coded ‘Passed’ or ‘Further Action Required’ result on the front cover.  There follows a Professional Opinion based on definitive Official data provided by The Coal Authority, facilitating decision making.

This Coal Mining Search also utilises enhanced datasets from Third Party sources in order to provide an assessment of risk of mine related settlement or subsidence.  The report considers information in order to answer questions as set out in CON29M. Each search includes a professional interpretation covered by £10m of professional indemnity insurance. 

The search returns a rating of: "Passed" or "Further Action", together with opinion details and where necessary, further action required.  Input mapping is supplemented by an Ordnance Survey MasterMap ‘Location Plan’ and a large scale ‘Mining Activity Plan’ for clarity and accuracy. 

PlanVal Non-Coal Mining Search with Professional Opinion.

The standardised format of the search puts a colour coded ‘Passed’ or ‘Further Action Required’ result on the front cover.  There follows a Professional Opinion based on data on 60+ different mineral types (excluding Coal), facilitating decision making.

This Non-Coal Mining Search utilises datasets from both Official and Third Party sources in order to provide an assessment of risk of mine related settlement or subsidence.  Where a property lies within a risk area for either Cheshire Brine or British Gypsum, the appropriate official search is purchased. The PlanVal report considers this combined information to produce a clear opinion. Each search includes a professional interpretation covered by £10m of professional indemnity insurance. 

The search returns a rating of: "Passed" or "Further Action", together with opinion details and where necessary, further action required.  Input mapping is supplemented by an Ordnance Survey MasterMap ‘Location Plan’ and a large scale ‘Mining Activity Plan’ for enhanced clarity and accuracy. 

Note - The standard disbursement is added in the small % of cases where a Cheshire Brine or British Gypsum report is included.

We've released a short, introductory video showing how tmgroup helps to streamline the property transaction; supporting conveyancers time after time in delivering successful completions for their clients.

The video also highlights the variety of tools available to our users, including the LR Extract tool and Quote Conversion Tool; both designed to significantly reduce estimated workload.

You can watch the video here:

We are pleased to announce our latest service enhancements for our tmconvey property searches platform.

These enhancements have been developed to make it easier for teams to collaborate during the search ordering process.

New “due date changes” notifications will be launched on 3rd October 2016, which will save users from having to log into the system and manually check the due dates of their ordered searches.

Building on the well-received distribution list feature, we have also ensured that all communications about a case can now be sent to everyone on the distribution list – and not just to the individual who created the case.

“Due date changes” notifications remove the need to check manually for delays

Our new alert system has been developed to make it easier for individuals to find out if their ordered searches due date has changed.

This new alert system will send out an email notification to the individual that ordered the search, notifying them and anyone added to the distribution list if there is a change that will delay the due date by more than 24 hours.

This automatic alert will save you time, as you’ll no longer have to log into the tmconvey system to manually check the due date listed against any search – which can be changed at any point by the external service provider.

These new email notifications will be switched on and available to all users of the tmconvey property searches platform by Monday 3rd October.

Stay on top of all search communications even if a colleague is unavailable

For quite some time, tmconvey users have been able to specify a distribution list for any ordered searches at the point they are submitted.

This allows you to:
• Select colleagues from a drop-down list so that they also receive the final search result
• Notify everyone on the distribution list about due date changes
• Notify everyone on the distribution list about any tm communications about a case, e.g. additional information requests
• Manage any ordered searches still in process if a member of the team is unavailable

This enhancement can also save time by removing the need for chasing phone calls if there is an unexpected delay, as the required information will already be available internally – just on a different computer.

This service enhancement is currently available to all users of tmconvey.

Operations Director, Paul Damsell, comments:

“We’re always striving to make life easier for our customers, and give them the information they need to do their job quickly and efficiently.

These proactive service enhancements will make it easier for conveyancers to stay well-informed of any changes which may delay their ordered searches, so they can confidently and consistently deliver to their clients.”

If you have any questions about these enhancements, please call Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or email helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk, or speak to your Account Manager.

Conveyancers are busy people, often handling hundreds of cases across any given month. With delays costing them time, money, and even clients, they don’t have time to waste when processing transactions.

Yet new research we conducted in recent weeks* has shown that some UK conveyancers are wasting precious time by visiting up to 13 web sites in order to complete a single transaction.

We found that the most commonly used web sites include Land Registry (98%) and search providers (80%), with Google Maps (66%), Insurance (51%) and NHBC (48%) also high on the list.

Slow service can damage your reputation and reduce recommendations

Clients rarely have a grasp of just how busy their appointed conveyancer is and will regularly chase them up to find out what is happening with their property transaction.

Slow responses and unnecessary delays can lead to a disappointing experience for the client, and subsequently reduce the likelihood of them recommending your services.

With just 8% of clients contacting solicitors online (according to Home Moving Trends 2015 [download report here http://web.tmgroup.co.uk/cn/an9um/homemovingtrends2015 ], recommendations and repeat business account for a staggering 92% of new business for conveyancers.

Finding ways to save time can help improve client satisfaction

In a competitive industry, this means that conveyancers need to be taking proactive steps to reduce the time it takes to process each transaction; improving client satisfaction and the chances of receiving positive recommendations.

One of the key ways conveyancers can do this is to invest in solutions which help them to save time. For example, the tmconvey system which provides 5 of the most popular web site services in one site, including tmgroup’s new integrated Map Search solution which saves conveyancers the additional visit to the Land Registry portal.

The Map Search service enables you to quickly establish via a map; the location of land or property, whether it is registered and any associated title numbers, making it quick and easy to carry out title investigation.

Users can then create the case and go on and order additional searches, insurance, and similar products, keeping everything in one place; ultimately streamlining the process for you and your colleagues.

By using services such as this, conveyancers can save valuable time and focus their efforts on providing a pro-active service to their clients, leading to happier clients and more referral business – the best type of business there is!

*The survey was conducted during June-August 2016 by leading property data provider tmgroup, asked conveyancers “How many websites do you visit during a conveyancing transaction?”

About tmconvey and Map Search

The Map Search facility is available as part of tmconvey – tmgroup’s comprehensive conveyancing platform, giving property solicitors everything they need to manage a property transaction.

Existing tmgroup customers can take advantage of the service straight away simply by logging into their account, whilst conveyancers not currently using tmconvey can sign up for a free, no-obligation trial.

To watch our latest webinar on Map Search click here http://web.tmgroup.co.uk/cn/an9um/webinar-hub

Visit http://www.tmgroup.co.uk/convey/MappingTools for more details.

HMRC has announced that CON29 searches provided by Local Authorities will include VAT from 4^th July 2016.

Will this affect the price of local searches?

It is not yet clear how prices will be affected. Some Local Authorities have indicated that they will absorb the cost of the VAT; some will take the opportunity to review their pricing altogether; some will simply add VAT to their Con29s; and others have yet to decide.

If prices do increase, then it is only the Con29 element of the local search (& any optional questions) that would be affected, as the LLC1 element of the search remains non-vatable.

What does this mean for my clients?

If prices are affected, then it would be prudent for conveyancers to inform clients of this potential increase.

Will this change the CON29 form which is provided by the Law Society?

Yes, the Law Society have made samples of the new forms available on their website. View new CON29 forms

What should I do?

We will keep you informed, giving you as much notice as possible of any price changes. Rest assured that if the prices of local searches are increased, VAT will be added at the point of order as with other searches and you need make no other change.

Further information 

Revised CON29 & CON29O forms

If you have any questions or concerns please contact your account manager or the helpdesk by calling 0844 249 9200 or emailing helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk

Property Searches Scotland (PSS) has announced that it has achieved 20% market share of the Scottish residential conveyancing search market within just 4 years of being established.

Part of the tmgroup family, Property Searches Scotland was launched in 2012 after commercial director Michael Tolland (pictured right) identified the burgeoning opportunity to provide fast, accurate and cost-effective property searches to the Scottish conveyancing market.

The company is now the fastest growing search company in Scotland with more than a fifth of residential conveyancers ordering searches from them and more than 25% using their services for remortgage work.

Providing the full suite of property searches required by conveyancing professionals in Scotland, England & Wales, PSS also offer a range of anti-money laundering products.

As part of tmgroup, PSS can call upon their parent company’s significant technological capabilities to maintain the best search turnaround times in the Scottish market. Not only that but PSS recently achieved a ‘world-class’ Net Promoter Score of 79, making it comparable with just a few elite companies across the globe.

Net Promoter Score is a universal customer satisfaction metric which measures how likely it is that a customer would recommend a company to a friend or colleague on a scale from -100 to +100. Surveymonkey’s NPS benchmark (an average of 76,147 organisations across 2015 and 2016) was 33, meaning that Property Searches Scotland sits among the top 25% of companies in the world for customer service.

Michael Tolland said of the news:
“I’m really pleased that we have reached this milestone but certainly even happier for the team that their hard work is being rewarded with excellent customer feedback. Everything we do is with our customer firmly in mind and we look forward to introducing even more useful and innovative services soon.”

To learn more about how you can save time and money on your property searches, visit our website or get in touch:
Michael Tolland, Commercial Director | Michael.tolland@propertysearchesscotland.co.uk | 07415 613964
Debi Haren, Business Development Manager | debi.haren@propertysearchesscotland.co.uk | 07943 066314
Alastair Graham, Business Development Manager | alastair.graham@propertysearchesscotland.co.uk | 07943 066315
Mark Welsh, Business Development Manager | mark.welsh@propertysearchesscotland.co.uk | 07484 008686