With the chaos surrounding home information packs (HIPs), the Law Society has a golden opportunity to press the Ministry of Justice into some meaningful practical changes to the conveyancing system, which would benefit everybody.


In no particular order, my list would include:

l A review of the local authority search and water search systems to include streamlining the more important questions, and ensuring that all local and water authorities are able to offer searches directly online;

l Pressurising the banks to improve the money transfer service. In an era of online banking, it is ludicrous that we have such early cut-off points for money transfers, particularly on Friday afternoons;

l The abolition of all restrictive covenants in excess of 50 years unless the covenantee can positively prove ownership of adjoining land;

l The abolition of chancel repair liability; and

l The restoration of the one-year rule for building regulations.



Not only would these improvements simplify and speed up the process, but they would also remove the increasing need for expensive indemnity policies.



These measures would seem to achieve the government's original stated targets for the introduction of HIPs in the first place.



Peter Fowler, Peter J Fowler Solicitors, Wimborne, Dorset