This week we are putting our Legal Searches and Property Services department in the spotlight. We interviewed Abbie Mitchell and Iain Seaton about the work they do within the department and how clients can benefit from the services we offer.

Provide a breakdown of the DM Hall Legal Searches & Property Services department.

The Legal Searches & Property Services department can provide any and all of the conveyancing reports required in the buying and/or selling of property throughout Scotland.

What services do you offer?

Our main focus is providing Legal Searches over registered/unregistered land and Property Enquiry Certificates; both documents being essential in the buying and selling transaction.

We also offer a variety of supplementary reports. Regarding Legal Searches, we can also provide Register of Community Interest in Land searches, Charges and Company Reports, Plans Reports (levels 1, 2 & 3), Quick Copies of Deeds and Title Investigation Searches.

Additional Reports re PECs include all types of Coal Mining Authority Reports, Envirosearch Reports, FloodRisk Reports, Road Adoption Plans, SIS Water Infrastructure Plans, Scotways Public Rights of Way Reports and Copies of Council Documents whether it be of Planning Applications, Plans and Completion Certificates.

What are the benefits of using DM Hall for these services?

There are many benefits of using the Legal Searches & Property Services Department of DM Hall. We cover the whole of Scotland with regards to our searching; no area is off limits! Searching also starts at a standard set fee for all clients regardless of where the location of the land/property is situated. We can search and report on any sort of premises whether it be residential properties, rural land/open spaces or commercial units. Each staff member deals with the report from start to finish making them an expert in their field .

We pride ourselves on our professional personal service whereby clients can easily contact the relevant person if they have a query – we are just one simple call/email away!

How has legislation changed the focus of your team (eg Land Registration etc)?

Since the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Act 2012, there has been a much larger general focus on the registration of previously unregistered property. Our team has therefore become much more proficient in dealing with the Sasine register, whether it be carrying out Unregistered Legal Reports to facilitate Voluntary Registration, or assisting in the ordering Plans Reports to confirm that property boundaries match the new Cadastral Map. Our close relationship with Registers of Scotland has allowed us to develop a seamless efficient service in this field.

What are the aims for the rest of the year?

Our aim as always is to continue to grow and improve in all aspects of our service. We will shortly be introducing a new updated version of our online ordering portal which we are confident will provide a more intuitive and customer friendly interface, allowing clients old and new to order and manage all of their reports in our one-stop-shop. We are eager to roll this service out and are excited about the Department’s future.