Risk management

Review post-completion proceduresThe most common mistakes remain the same.

Many have been examined in this column before, and advice given on how to avoid them.

The old favourite is failing to submit an application for registration of title to a property within the priority period afforded by the Land Registry search.

Some put the figure of such late applications at 40% of the total number submitted to the Land Registry.

It is tempting, once completion has taken place, to put the file to one side.

Client pressure disappears once the client is happily settled in the new home.

All those admin points, such as registering the title, can be dealt with later.

There are more pressing things to attend to, like the next batch of completions.

Such attitudes are asking for claims.

The conveyancing department should have a proper procedure for dealing with post-completion work, in particular registration of title.

l As soon as the result of your Land Registry search is received, enter the expiry date of the search in your diary.

Also enter a warning date or countdown date, for example: 'one week to expiry of search'.

This will remind you to check and see what, if anything, is delaying the submission of the registration.l If there is a problem with the submission of the application, consider the need to extend priority afforded by the search, and how this may be done.l Keep all post-completion files in a separate cabinet from the remainder of your conveyancing files.l Make sure that those files are reviewed on a regular basis to make sure that all files are being progressed and that there is no delay.l Appoint a qualified member of staff to supervise the post-completion work, particularly registrations.l If the Land Registry raises requisitions, diarise the date that they must be dealt with, again entering a warning or countdown date.

Do not allow your priority to lapse and your registration to be returned.

l When you have submitted your application or dealt with the requisition, mark against the diary entry that it has been dealt with, and the date.

l Diary entries should not be in code.

They must clearly demonstrate which file they relate to, what has to be done and by when.

The effectiveness of a diary system can be measured against how well it works in the absence of the fee earner concerned.

l This column was prepared by the St Paul risk management team