FAQs

How long will it take to get a local authority search?

Over half of the Authorities in England and Wales are now able to produce searches within two to six working days, in fact the national average time to produce a search is 5.4 days.

Performance times look set to improve further still as more Authorities move towards the automated processing of enquiries via the National Land Information Service (NLIS). Local Authorities are also working with Land Data (formerly C-NLIS) to improve access to data for private search firms, although this is still at an early stage.

What is the shelf life of a local authority search?

Land and property conveyancing takes time, and consequently solicitors have agreed to adopt an extended shelf life for searches. Most conveyancers will rely on a search which is less than three months old, although this may change once Home Information Packs are implemented in August of this year. Searches included in HIPs must be obtained when a property is first put on the market, and in a slower housing market three months could soon pass before a sale is finalised. The legal profession will need to quickly decide upon a solution to this thorny problem.

What if there is a problem?

As with any complex data process errors can occasionally occur in a search report, but redress is available, whether a private search company or a Local Authority has been used. It is a modern day myth to believe that Local Authorities are not insured, or that they are difficult to deal with. Not only do Local Authorities stand fully behind their search information, but their insurance companies are often some of the largest in the country.

However, sometimes insurance is not the answer and money simply cannot compensate. This is where Local Authorities can offer more than any other market player. They can offer to revoke or revise their plans, they can quash notices, Resoving problems without the need for protracted negotiation and extended worry for the consumer.

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