May 2006:

Property professionals in Colchester gathered last week to find out how an electronic search service could speed up property transactions and help them prepare for the introduction of important new legislation. A special briefing meeting at Colchester Town Hall was hosted by Colchester Borough Council, leading Essex solicitors Thompson Smith & Puxon and The Council for the National Land (and Property) Information Service (CNLIS).

At the event, local solicitors and estate agents heard how detailed searches on land and home condition could be completed faster and more accurately using a national service called NLIS (National Land Information Service).

Electronic searches on land and home condition are particularly significant as providers of conveyancing services gear up for new legislation on Home Information Packs (HIPs), which comes into effect on June 1st 2007. Every home seller will require a HIP which must have answers to questions on land searches.

As one of the first firms in Essex to use NLIS, Thompson Smith & Puxon was invited by Colchester Borough Council to give first hand experience of how the technology is already producing business benefits.

Maureen Allen, member of the property team at Thompson Smith & Puxon, said: “As we move towards an age of e-conveyancing, it is vital to keep up to speed with the latest developments. Electronic searches mean faster, more accurate and cost effective results for house movers, which will become even more important once HIPs are introduced next year.”

All 15 councils in Essex are now connected to NLIS and can turn searches around in an average of six days, with some providing searches in just 48 hours. Many home moves cross council borders but through NLIS, there is no need for solicitors to contact each council separately as their submitted search will automatically reach the correct local authority.

Andrew Weavers, Head of Legal at Colchester Borough Council, said: “Local land searches are an important part of the conveyancing process and we are recommending that property professionals follow the lead from Thompson Smith & Puxon and adopt this new technology.”