GAZETTE
DECEMBER 1991
DSBA Launches CORT
Computerised Objections and Requisitions on Title
The Dublin Solicitors Bar As-
sociation in association with Noltag
Computers Limited has developed
a simple computer so f tware
package which enables a reply to
be made to Requisitions on Title
using a PC computer without the
need for the use of typewriters and
forms. At a reception to mark the
launch of CORT, held in the Law
Society, the President of the DSBA,
David Walley,
explained how CORT
had come about. "The idea arose
almost two years ago when the
Law Soc i e t y 's Conveyancing
Committee asked for Bar associa-
tions' suggestions in this area. The
Dublin Solicitors Bar Association
Conveyancing Committee in con-
junction with Noltag Computer
Services Limited played around
wi th various suggestions and
eventually came up with this
software package.
"The system operates on a very
simple presumption. The vendor
presumes that the purchaser will
raise the standard requisitions on
title and rather than waiting for him
to raise them, he raises them
himself and replies to them himself
at the time that the contracts are
exchanged. The purchaser, of
course, will then raise whatever
other requisitions he has by way of
letter and that letter will then, of
course be replied to by letter".
David Walley said t hat the
advantages of the system were:-
- simple to use;
- can be used on any PC
- can be used w i t h any
wordprocessing system;
- developed by solicitors for
solicitors;
- cheap;
- quick and easy to amend the
software to take account of
a modification by the Law
Society of the Requisitions
on Title.
David Walley continued "each firm
using the system will have a
copyright licence from the Law
Society and the cost of this licence
will be included in the CORT
software licence fee. This fee is an
annual licence fee and is pitched at
a level which we consider is
affordable. The single user system
costs £95. A two user system
£145 and for each additional user
a further £40." David Walley said
that he would particularly like to
thank
Maeve Hayes,
Chairperson of
the Law Society Conveyancing
Committee, and the members of
the Committee for their support in
the development of the programme.
David Walley also thanked all the
solicitors who were involved in the
pilot study, namely
Daire Murphy,
Rory O'Donnell, Dominic Dowiing,
John Buckley, Justin McKenna,
Richard Bennett, Gerry Griffin
and
Gerry Doherty.
How CORT operates
The standard form of Requisitions
on Title is incorporated into the
computer software The operator of
the software can only type into
the document the usual particulars
on the front page e.g. vendor,
purchaser, property details etc.
The content of the Requisitions
cannot be varied from the current
edition of the Law Society
Requisitions.
The vendor's solicitor will assume
that the purchaser's solicitor will
raise the standard Requisitions on
Title (excluding the obvious
requisitions which are inapplicable
e.g. flats, licensing etc where a
second hand house is involved).
The vendor solicitor will send these
requisitions with replies to the
purchaser's solicitor at the time he
returns the executed contract to
the purchaser.
The purchaser's solicitor will then
raise whatever other Requisitions on
Title that he may wish to raise
together with his rejoinders and
prepare a list of documents he wants
handed over on closing. This will be
sent to the purchaser's solicitor, in
letter form and replied to by the
vendor's solicitors in letter form.
It is thought that the time saved in
waiting for the purchaser to raise
the standard Requisitions on Title
will be as much as seven days.
The software enables the user to
use standard phrases e.g. agreed,
yes, no, not applicable, enquiries
being made, etc at the touch of a
button without having to type in
the specific reply.
If a category of requisition does not
apply to the transaction, the
requisition category is not raised at
all. A statement is made to the
effect that it does not apply on the
Requisitions pn Title side of the
document. If however a part of a
category of requisition does not
apply, the entire category will be
raised as a Requisition on Title
obliging the vendor to reply to each
section arid sub-section of a
category individually. This will save
on paper and postage costs.
•
Professional
Information
(Cont'd from page 426)
Miscellaneous
Solicitors Practice required:
Leinster area. Confidentiality
assured. Box No: 91.
Cooper Estate
"Wo u l d any person having
knowledge of the Cooper Estate
which held property in Knocklong,
Co. Limerick, please contact M/S
William A. Lee & Son, Solicitors,
Kilfinane, Co. Limerick. Reference
PE, Phone No: 063-91116."
ENGLISH AGENTS:
Agency work
undertaken for Irish solicitors in
both litigation and non-contentious
matters - including legal aid.
Fearon & Co., Solicitors, 12 the
Broadway, Woking, Surrey GU21
5AU. Tel: 03-0483-726272. Fax:
03-0483-725807.
427