Conveyancing Quality Scheme Accreditation

We are pleased to announce that Alletsons has been awarded Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation by the Law Society. This serves as recognition of the consistently high standards our conveyancing clients have come to expect from us and of the excellent service level we provide at what is often a stressful time for many people

Alletsons underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to secure CQS status, which marks the firm out as meeting high standards in the residential conveyancing process.

Law Society President John Wotton said that the Law Society introduced CQS to promote high standards in the home buying process.

“CQS improves efficiency with common, consistent standards and service levels and enables consumers to recognise practices that provide a quality residential conveyancing service.

"Buying a home is one of the largest purchases anyone will make in their lifetime, so it is essential that it is done to the highest standard by a solicitor. There are many different conveyancing service providers out there, making it difficult for home buyers to identify those which can ensure a safe and efficient level of service.”

Inheritance Tax

As you will no doubt have seen in the press the Government has sought to mitigate the effect of Inheritance Tax as between spouses or Civil Partners. Some details are available in our Wills Information Sheet but we will be happy to advise further and in greater depth as to how the new arrangements might affect your estate and your existing Will arrangements.

Energy Performance Certificates

The Energy Performance Certificate gives owners, buyers and tenants of both residential and commercial buildings information on the energy efficiency of their property. It gives the building a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from ‘A' to ‘G', where ‘A' is the most efficient and G the least. The government states that ‘ An EPC is required when a building is constructed, rented or sold. A building will need an EPC if it has a roof and walls and uses energy to ‘condition an indoor climate'. This means it has heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation. For example, a garden shed would not need an EPC if it doesn't have any heating. The building can either be a whole building or part of a building that has been designed or altered to be used separately. If a building is made up of separate units, each with its own heating system, each unit will need an EPC.' However, an EPC is not necessary in:

• places of worship
• temporary buildings that will be used for less than two years
• standalone buildings with total useful floor area of less than 50 square metres that aren't used to provide living accommodation for a single household
• industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings that don't use a lot of energy

For more information on Energy Performance Certificates visit the DirectGov website

Changes to the rules on septic tanks

The Government is reviewing the situation regarding the registration of small sewerage discharges in England . Providing you comply with the requirements below, registration is unnecessary whilst the review is taking place:

• The discharge is to ground and is of 2 cubic metres per day or less via a septic tank and infiltration system (soakaway) and is outside a Source Protection Zone 1. This is approximately equivalent to 9 people occupying a single property;
• The discharge is to surface water and is of 5 cubic metres per day or less via a package sewage treatment plant. This is approximately equivalent to 31 people occupying a single property (for example, a small school, residential home and so on);
• The sewage is only domestic;
• The sewage system is maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and you keep a record of all maintenance. In the case of septic tanks this includes regular emptying; and
• The discharge does not cause pollution of surface water or groundwater

To find out more information, including whether you live in a Source Protection Zone, please visit the Environment Agency website . The position on the requirement to register is due to be reviewed by the Environment Agency by the 31 st December 2011.

Asset Protection

As a greater number of people find themselves facing the prospect of long term residential or nursing care, protecting your assets to assure both your own long term future and that of those you care about is becoming increasingly complex yet increasingly important. Having in our firm solicitors who are members of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners and of Solicitors for the Elderly, we have a great deal of experience in advising on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Care provision and all other aspects of short and long term asset protection. More information can be found in our information sheets in the ‘Our Services' Section of the Website or by visiting our offices.

Adoption of private sewers

As of the 1st October 2011 sewerage providers across the country took ownership of thousands of private sewers and drains. Here in the West Country, Wessex Water adopted an additional 10,500 miles of sewers and drains that were the responsibility of individuals, groups, businesses or housing associations. Affected properties should have received information directly from Wessex Water, but to find out more information on the adoption of private sewers and to check whether sewers on properties such as yours have been affected please or  visit Wessex Water's website .

Whilst this certainly provides advantages in terms of the maintenance of such drains, it is important to note the negative implications. If there is a publically adopted sewer or drain running under your land you may require special permission from the adopting authority if you ever want to build upon it. This is compounded by the fact that the boundary used to define where sewers will have been adopted is generally accepted to be the edge of the ‘dwelling'. For residential properties this is usually the boundary of the whole property including the garden but for other properties such as farms it may only be the boundary of the dwelling (e.g. the farmhouse and garden but not including the surrounding fields). The result of this is that many more people may now need special permission from the adopting authority to build upon their own land and we would advise anyone wishing to build to take special care to check for publically adopted sewers.

Solar Panels

The installation of Solar Panels is subject to Building Regulation control. To avoid having to submit an application to your local authority you must ensure that the work is carried out by a qualified person who belongs to an appropriate Competent Person Scheme that covers all of the work undertaken (including the structural assessment of the roof). If it has not been carried out by a Competent Person you must apply to your local authority for Building Regulations approval

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief for first time buyers

First-time buyers of residential property can still apply for Stamp Duty Land Tax relief on properties costing less than £250,000 if you buy before the 25 th March 2012. This means that where you are buying your first residential property for less than £250,000 you will not be required to pay SDLT. This relief is only available until 25 th March 2012, so act now to take advantage of this saving.