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19 November 2009 / Andrew Stenning
Issue: 7394 / Categories: Features , Property
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Searching questions

Are HIPs working for you? asks Andrew Stenning

There have been some calls in the past to scrap HIPs which have been backed by statements such as “it would slow the market down” and “it increases costs involved in buying and selling”.

However, a recent poll has been commissioned with over 175 housing industry professionals, which included mortgage lenders, estate agents and property investors who said that they were in favour of HIPs.

Grant Shapps, shadow housing minister for the conservatives, has in the past been clear about the conservatives’ view on scrapping HIPs.

However, it is also worth mentioning that their view is changing as they recently indicated approval of an exchange ready HIP, we can only conclude that they are now beginning to understand the benefits HIPs bring to the conveyancing process.

It is also worth remembering that the majority of information contained within a HIP was always required during the buying and selling process. The Property Information Questionnaire is the most recent addition to the HIP and adds even further quality to

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NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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