Recent advice from the government urges local councils to take prompt action to clamp down on illegal encampments – but can councils afford to do anything about it?

Illegal and unauthorised encampments on open land, both public and private, are seen as an issue which councils should tackle quickly. But entry or illegal action is often taken at weekends, when local authority offices are closed.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has just sent…

Ten years ago legislation was passed to create a new form of property tenure for flats. Commonhold, as it was to be known, was intended to replace all the defects of the leasehold system. It was the result of many years of discussions and reports and much parliamentary time.

The intention of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 was to create a simpler system for owning and managing flats. This would do away with the need for complicated leases, making Conveyancing for such…

With lenders continuing to prune their panels drastically, many smaller Solicitors firms face the problem of losing clients and going out of business. But one small firm in Cornwall is hitting back. Using social networking sites A P Bassett of Lostwithiel are calling on similar firms and their clients to sign their petition to preserve competition in the Conveyancing market.

Following recent decisions by several major lenders to cull small law firms from their Conveyancing panels,…