News & Legal Updates

Many years ago, a tenancy interest was an almost overlooked asset when speaking to clients about Wills and general succession planning for the farming business. In fact, I have to admit that I am old enough to remember the days where a NIL value was put against tenancy interests on estate inventories. That position has gradually changed with tenants becoming more aware of the value of a tenancy interest, assisted over time by an improvement of the tenant’s position through legislative change...

If you have ever had to deal with the sale of a property and there has been an issue with the title or something else which has caused a problem you may have been asked to provide a defective title indemnity policy. This blog explains what they are and when they can be used.

“When do I sign my missives”? It is probably the question that conveyancers hear most of often. The short answer is – you don’t! Most people are surprised hear this, so the reason for this blog is to try and clear up some common misconceptions about missives and the process. It probably helps to first … Continue reading "Some frequently asked questions about missives"

From Thursday, 1 April 2021, fees charged for most registration services at Registers of Scotland (RoS) will increase. It should be noted that applications are registered the day after they are submitted so the increased fees will apply to all applications submitted from midnight on 30 March 2021 onwards. Last year the Keeper of the … Continue reading "Fee increases at Registers of Scotland"

The Scottish residential property market is still booming and, whilst the recent announcement by the Scottish Government about the closure of the Help to Buy scheme may have been disappointing news for some, there remains various other schemes available to those still keen to buy residential property.  There follows some information on a few such … Continue reading "Help Is Still At Hand For Those Looking To Buy Residential Property In Scotland"

On Monday 27th April 2020, The Registers of Scotland (the “Registers”) opened up their digital submission service and it has since then been operating very successfully operating. The Registers and the Law Society of Scotland worked extremely hard to put the digital submission service in place and to ensure it was fully operational in a … Continue reading "Re-opening of the Land Register and Register of Sasines – The Best of Both Worlds"

Guidance on how private landlords should deal with rent and terminating tenancies Since the start of the pandemic the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 and Coronavirus (Scotland) (No. 2) Act 2020 have been passed by the Scottish Government. The new Acts were introduced to provide security to various sectors during the pandemic. The new legislation makes … Continue reading "Eviction of Tenants during the Coronavirus Pandemic"

I think it is fair to say that the year 2020 will not be one that is remembered for the right reasons. From lockdowns to social distancing, 2020 was a year in which COVID-19 dominated the news headlines and changed the way we all live and work. The pandemic has affected all areas of life, … Continue reading "The Race For Rural Relocation"

In March 2020, when the country went into lockdown, we all thought it would be a temporary measure lasting a few short weeks, and the country would be up and running in no time at all. Yet, here we are, almost a year on and we still find ourselves in a lockdown situation. The effects … Continue reading "Will the flurry in the property market continue in 2021?"

For many people around retirement age equity release mortgages are an attractive option as they offer either a lump sum or a regular income which could be used in a number of ways.  For example: To supplement a pension To pass on money to family members To go on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday or trip To … Continue reading "Equity release mortgages (Dec. 2020)"