Law Society notices

Council elections

Election of two members of the Law Society Council for constituency no 18 West Country and Gwent.

The election scrutineer's (Electoral Reform Services) report of the voting in the elections is as follows:

Constituency no 18 West Country and GwentTotal number of voting papers returned by the due date 1,540Number of invalid voting papers (unsigned) 61Number of invalid voting papers (changed address) 0Number of invalid voting papers (blank) 1Number of invalid voting papers (voter not eligible) 0Number of invalid voting papers (spoilt/ambiguous) 7Thus, number of valid voting papers 1,471Result - two to elect:Helen Davies ElectedPatricia Margaret Lush Elected

The election was conducted by use of the single transferable vote.

For a full result sheet contact Barbara Gastrell, Head of Corporate Administration, The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL (LDE 56), fax: 020 7320 5685, e-mail: barbara.gastrell@lawsociety.org.uk

Drainage and water enquiries - Con29 DW - commercial properties

The new standard form of enquiry, Con29 DW, dealing with public drainage and water matters has been available throughout England and Wales since 1 April 2002.

The Law Society recommends that enquirers submit the separate drainage and water search, Con29 DW, to the local sewerage undertaker on all occasions in addition to submitting the standard enquiries, Con29, to the local authority.

Enquiries can be submitted to regional water service companies or ordered via the National Land Information Service, or visit: www.drainageandwater.co.uk or www.nlis.org.uk

The development of the form was aimed primarily at residential property but was not intended to exclude commercial properties; however, liability for these transactions was limited to 5,000.

The Law Society has received significant representation from solicitors that this limited level of liability is inappropriate for commercial transactions and has held discussions with members and Water Service Companies' representatives to seek a solution.

These discussions have identified two requirements:

l Firstly, as an interim measure, a prompt increase in professional indemnity cover maintained by each water company for commercial property transactions to 2 million;

l Secondly, for the Law Society to review with solicitors and water services companies the wider need for a standard form aimed primarily at commercial property.

The Law Society is grateful to water service companies for seeking to support these requirements and is pleased that the majority of companies will be in a position to respond to the increase in professional indemnity cover to 2 million during September 2002.

Four companies are currently unable to meet these time-scales.

However, it is hoped that the service will be available throughout England and Wales in due course.

The service will be available during September from the following companies: Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent water, South West Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water.

Individual companies will be notifying customers of arrangements for obtaining the service.

The new service will be clearly identified on company order forms, search replies and terms and conditions.

Where the standard Con29 DW request form is submitted this should be clearly endorsed 'commercial property' in which case the search reply will include the required 2 million professional indemnity cover.

Arrangements for obtaining a Con29 DW for commercial property and the fees charged by a particular water service company can also be obtained from that company or by visiting: www.drainageandwater.co.uk or www.nlis.org.uk

Recent information from the Law Society's library

Air lawContracts of carriage by air by Malcolm Clarke (LLP, 2002, ISBN 1843111489).

A guide to the law relating to carriage by air, the book includes case law and legislation.

CostsCivil Court fees: consultation paper on fee changes.The Court Service has issued a consultation paper on fee changes covering the Supreme Court, County Court, Family Proceedings and Insolvency Fees.

It is available on the Court Service Web site at: www.courtservice.gov.uk

EnvironmentThe law of trees, forests and hedgerows by Charles Mynors (Sweet and Maxwell, 2002, ISBN 0421590408).

This publication covers all angles from preservation to removal.

InternetLegal information on the Internet.

The library has just produced a new edition of this list of useful sources of legal information on the Internet.

To obtain a copy, e-mail: Lib-enq@lawsociety.org.uk and a list will be sent electronically, free of charge.

Landlord and tenantCommonhold: the new law byDN Clarke (Jordans, 2002, ISBN 0853087741).A guide to the new form of freehold ownership suitable for blocks of flats and housing estates as introduced by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.

This list has been compiled by the Law Society's library.

For additional information about the contents, or other legal research enquiries, contact the library, tel: 0870 606 2511 or e-mail: lib-enq@lawsociety.org.uk Copies of most items are available via the library's charged document delivery service: telephone us for a photocopy application form, or download it from the Internet at: www.library.lawsociety.org.uk