You’ve recently discovered that your house is sitting on top of a mine; or you’ve known all along but you’ve never really been concerned about it, but now, your house is starting to sink – what do you do? Sadly, this isn’t just the stuff of nightmares, this is something many people have had to face and will have to face in the future. With so many mines in use and disused across the UK (171,000 coal entries are recorded, but it is thought that there could be more), houses are sinking all the time, but would you know if this was happening to you and what can you do?
Your House is Sitting Over a Mine – What do you do?
October 4th, 2012 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Land Registry, Local Authority Searches, Property Market Comments Off on Your House is Sitting Over a Mine – What do you do?
What Can I Do About My Neighbour’s Nuisance Tree?
June 29th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Land Registry, Legal, Local Authority Searches 2 Comments »
Trees can be wonderful though they can also be a terrible nuisance in gardens, particularly small gardens and particularly if they are allowed to grow too large. If your enjoyment of your property is adversely affected by a tree belonging to a neighbour, is there anything you can do?
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Changes to Adoption of Private Drains and Sewers
June 14th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Local Authority Searches, Property Conveyancing Comments Off on Changes to Adoption of Private Drains and Sewers
There is some mixed news for home owners this week. New regulations, made under powers granted by the Water Act 2003, are being considered by Parliament which if approved will mean that any stretches of private sewer or drain which are shared with another property will be automatically adopted by the relevant water authority for the area.
When Building Regulations Approval Has Not Been Obtained
August 23rd, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Local Authority Searches, Property Conveyancing 4 Comments »
Building regulations are designed to ensure that building works are done to set standards of safety and energy efficiency. The framework for the law is set out in the Building Act 1984. This statute allows regulations to be made as and when necessary to update the law and there have been several editions since the Act.
Obtaining Conveyancing Searches
July 30th, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Land Registry, Local Authority Searches, Property Conveyancing 2 Comments »
For the past few years obtaining the conveyancing searches has been the responsibility of the home information pack provider since the major ones, the local authority search and drainage & water search, were a compulsory part of it. Now that HIPs have been suspended the searches must be obtained by the purchaser (or his conveyancer).
How to kill an entrepreneur
May 24th, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Information Packs, Local Authority Searches 6 Comments »
In 1999 a father and son were so frustrated with the delays from local councils in providing local searches to enable them to buy a house they went to the council and searched the records to produce their own search. Realising there was a business potential there the father and son contact a couple of solicitor friends and with their help started a personal search company.
Details of Non-Compliant Local Authority Searches to be removed
February 2nd, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Information Packs, Local Authority Searches 1 Comment »
The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) have indicated that later today they will remove the non-Home Information Pack compliant Local Authority list from its public web site.
Property Codes Compliance Board independent assessment results
February 2nd, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Information Packs, Local Authority Searches, Property Conveyancing 6 Comments »
The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) has welcomed the findings of the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB) independent assessment into personal searches, but issued a warning to property professionals.
Non HIP Compliant Local Authority Searches
November 13th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Information Packs, Local Authority Searches, News, Property Conveyancing 16 Comments »
IPSA have today released a list of Local Authorities that they are advising members NOT to buy official searches from, to ensure Home Information Pack compliance.
Search Agents massive bad debt burden
November 12th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Information Packs, Local Authority Searches, News, Property Conveyancing 8 Comments »
The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) has today completed a partial survey of its members in relation to their combined burden of bad debt. The survey has revealed the amount IPSA members have written-off since the introduction of Home Information Packs due to non-payment, liquidation, alleged fraudulent trading and improper business conduct.
IPSA non-compliant Local Authority Searches survey
November 12th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Information Packs, Local Authority Searches, News, Property Conveyancing 15 Comments »
The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) has today completed a survey of Local Authorities it accuses of producing searches that are not HIP compliant.
Christian Lister, IPSA Chairman and Steve Davies IPSA CEO have both highlighted the problem of non-compliance and the risk to consumers to the relevant industry authorities.