I have just received a copy of 'Progress 16', a newsletter from the Department of Communities and Local Government about home information packs (HIPs).


Clearly drafted by someone whose last job was that of a cheerleader for a former Eastern Bloc regime, it responds to five 'alleged loopholes' in the regulations. But the most obvious loophole, or more properly a chasm, which renders HIPs optional for all but the most simple-minded, is not addressed, as it probably has not been considered.



If a property is marketed without vacant possession, even if the proposed delay in vacant possession is a few minutes, it does not need a HIP. And, of course, if negotiations then lead to vacant possession, no one will be surprised.



Laurence Mann, AL Hughes & Co, London