CoPSO welcomes new Handbook wording about Regulated Personal Searches

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has welcomed revised wording to the Law Society’s Conveyancing Handbook in respect of references to Regulated Personal Searches.

The revision follows many years of engagement on the subject and a long and constructive dialogue between the two bodies.

James Sherwood-Rogers, CoPSO Chairman commented:

‘It is greatly satisfying that many years of working with the Law Society on a revision to the wording that references Personal Searches in the Conveyancing Handbook has resulted in recognition for the Search Code, and the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB) as the regulator of the Code. The Code provides protection for homebuyers, conveyancers and mortgage lenders and sets the standard for the provision of private sector searches of all types. We are grateful for the time and effort expended by the Law Society in working with CoPSO to arrive at the new wording’ However, CoPSO has now sought an urgent dialogue with the Law Society over a revision to the section in the Conveyancing Handbook that relates to Mining Searches about which it was not consulted.

Mr Sherwood-Rogers said:

‘It is unfortunate that, whilst welcoming the change in wording to the Handbook provisions on Personal Searches, CoPSO was not consulted on revised wording on Coal Mining searches, a subject which has received much focus and work by CoPSO and its members over the last 18 months. This work culminated in the recent introduction of a new Mining Search Compliance Note defining which searches qualify for Search Code acceptance and which can be relied upon by homebuyers, lawyers and mortgage lenders. CoPSO’s stance is that any mining search which carries the Search Code logo can be safely commissioned in the conveyancing process and this message will be communicated to all relevant stakeholders.’

 

Kindly shared by Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO)