WillAid – “A good solicitor will write your Will”

Posted by Justin on Oct 26, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments What is WillAid? November is WillAid month, during which participating solicitors – including Nelsons, naturally, will write basic Wills for no fee – instead, clients are asked to make a donation to WillAid. There are 9 leading charities involved in WillAid: ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, SCIAF, Sightsavers and Trocaire, and the...
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How can plans comply with Land Registry requirements?

Posted by Justin on Oct 25, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments Despite the “general boundaries rule” (which makes Land Registry title plans all but useless for resolving boundary disputes), the Land Registry has, relatively recently, tightened up its requirements for plans identifying property being sold. Gone – thankfully – are the days what the seller’s solicitor would mark up a small scale extract from the Ordnance Map in...
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Boundaries, title plans

Posted by Justin on Oct 23, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 2 comments “Boundaries are nothing to do with conveyancing” Attending a training course the other day, I was somewhat startled to hear the presenter say this – very firmly. I was already aware that the Land Registry’s “general boundaries rule”, coupled with the very small scale of Land Registry title plans, make the title plan all but useless for defining the location of...
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Anti-money laundering

Posted by Justin on Oct 6, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments It is a pain for solicitors and clients alike, but anti-money laundering legislations requires solicitors to verify the identities of their clients and providers of funds, normally at the outset of a transaction – and certainly before any funds are received. We make this clear to clients, and make it as easy as possible for them to deal with the requirements: they can call in to our office...
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Wills can be urgent – they are certainly important

Posted by Justin on Sep 30, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments Over the past couple of weeks, as well as my normal workload, I have had to make three emergency Wills. To be fair, one was not – I suspect – a genuine emergency: the client insisted he was about to die and that he had to be visited at home so he could make his Will but, as he is now asking for time to pay his bill, I reckon he was just demanding special attention. The other couple...
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Land Registry’s possible “Home Owner Monitoring Service”

Posted by Justin on Sep 29, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments The Land Registry is considering this service, saying, “We are currently researching customer appetite for a home-owner alert service to anyone who feels they may be at risk of property fraud or to anyone who would like the comfort of knowing they will be notified if any enquiries are made against their property.  We want to hear your views on whether you would use this service and what...
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