Blog - Bowling & Co Solicitors

News: Stamp duty holiday extended until the end of June

What does it mean for you? In the Budget, today, the Chancellor has confirmed that the stamp duty holiday on properties priced up to £500,000 has been extended by three months until the end of June. In addition, the holiday will also apply to properties priced up to £250,000 until the end of September 2021! The extension provides relief for buyers who were unlikely to complete their transactions before the original March 31 deadline. With a tax cut now available for buyers until September, this should also help to ensure…

New: Law Society calls for review of end of SDLT holiday to prevent sales collapsing

The Law Society has made a press release that calls for urgent action to prevent the end of the temporary increase in the residential SDLT nil-rate band. This is due to end on 31 March 2021, resulting in possibly, thousands of aborted sales. The Law Society is urging people to write to their MP to call for action. It has also suggested three possible options for the government to address the problem: Extend the temporary increase in the SDLT nil-rate band, thereby providing more time for buyers to complete transactions…

News: Avanton is to tackle London’s housing crisis

The build-to-rent (BTR) group Avanton is to tackle London's housing crisis with massive plans to increase its landbank in the capital. The Avanton Group is to tackle London's housing crisis and has acquired a £500M fund to be utilised over a three-year period and will target the purchase and development of sites across London boroughs, including Islington, Southwark, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Hammersmith, Lambeth, Camden, and Brent. The group seeks to acquire sites with values of between £20m to £100m, providing for 300 to 1,000 units per development. Avanton is targeting up…

Blog: Your rights in disciplinary and grievance procedures during coronavirus

February 17, 2021
Vandana Dass
Employment

While many workplaces continue to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, employment law and the Acas Code of Practice concerning disciplinary and grievance procedures still apply. Do you know your rights in disciplinary and grievance procedures during coronavirus? If you are facing disciplinary action or grievance procedures, you must be aware of your rights and how these might be affected by coronavirus restrictions. Furloughed workers If you are currently on furlough, it is still possible to be involved in disciplinary or grievance procedures. Whilst on furlough, you may: Take part in…

News: Housing Secretary – extended support for renters during the pandemic

On 14 February 2021, the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, published a press release announcing extended support for renters during the pandemic. The measures that currently protect residential tenants from eviction in England, subject to certain exemptions, will continue until 31 March 2021. Renters will continue to be supported during the ongoing national lockdown restrictions, with an extension to the ban on bailiff evictions. The Current Regulations prevent attendance at a house in England for the purpose of executing a writ or warrant of possession or delivering a notice of eviction,…

The beginning of the end of leasehold

February 15, 2021
Huseyin Youssouf
Property Market News, Property Law, Residential

Leasehold property owners are set for important changes in the coming months. The Government is planning to grant new rights on lease extensions and ending ground rent, which signals the beginning of the end of leasehold and this form of ownership. The government has indicated there will be a shift to ‘commonhold’ on the horizon, but the benefits to householders are likely to take time to filter through. Nearly all flats and some houses in England and Wales are owned on a leasehold basis, giving the owner the right to…

Blog: Critical corporate reporting for company relocations during the pandemic

February 15, 2021
Mohammed Akram
Corporate

A complex court case over conflicting dispute resolution provisions has highlighted a simple, but vital, takeaway on the importance of critical corporate reporting for company relocations during the pandemic. It applies to all UK registered companies and has come about as the result of an increase in unattended offices or those subject to permanent closure due to the pandemic. The case involved an aircraft operating lease for a Boeing 737 between Helice Leasing and PT Garuda[1], an Indonesian company with a UK office. When Garuda defaulted on the payments, the…

Blog: Farming succession planning: a quick guide

February 10, 2021
Manal Fouad
Private Client

Farming succession planning is an essential part of running a family farm business. Effectively planning for the future allows you to protect your assets, safeguard your business, ensure continuity and provide for your family.Succession planning in the farming industry is also vital to the sector's viability as a whole. In this post, we look at some of the key things you need to consider when succession planning for your farming estate. Farming succession planning explained Succession planning isn't just about planning your retirement but ensuring a smooth transition for those…

ISO-9001 and Lexcel quality marks triumph

It has been a busy start to 2021 for Bowling & Co. We are celebrating a double achievement having retained both ISO-9001 and Lexcel quality marks. Both quality marks were awarded at the end of January within 6 weeks of each other. LawNet ISO 9001:2015 Quality Standard In mid-December 2020 we were audited against the internationally renowned ISO-9001 quality mark standard, which is a requirement of our membership of LawNet (a mutual and member-owned organisation of approximately 72 law firms ranging in size from six to 50+ partners). This accreditation comprises…

Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme members

Bowling & Co has once again been accredited as Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme members - the mark of excellence for the home buying process. This is the 10th year in a row that we have achieved CQS accreditation. The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation is the hallmark of high standards and establishes a level of credibility for regulators, lenders, insurers, and consumers. It is the quality mark of the home-buying sector and enables consumers to identify practices that provide a quality residential conveyancing service. With so many…

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