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THE SOCIETY OF YOUNG SOLICITORS
A meeting was held
in BuswelFs Hotel on
Thursday,
30th
June, when Mr. Myles
P.
Gavagan, Chief Examiner in the Land Commis
sion, delivered a very interesting and illuminating
paper on the Land Commission. Mr. Gavagan
outlined the practice and procedue in the Land
Commission with a view to giving a clear picture
to solicitors as to how to deal with Land Com
mission transactions. The meeting was told that
the staff and officers
in the Land Commission
would help solicitors at all times, but solicitors
were requested
to have
their papers
in order
before they presented any application to the Land
Commission.
The sub-committee appointed to report on the
new Solicitors' Accounts Regulations, presented
their report at private business on 30th June,
and having been passed by the meeting, it has
been circulated to members for their consider
ation. All members have been earnestly requested
to consider the principle of these proposed regul
ations, and to vote thereon.
Membership subscription of £1-1-0 and orders
for transcripts of lectures should be sent to the
Treasurer at 15 Braemor Park, Dublin 14. Cheques
and Postal Orders should be
in favour of the
Society. The membership year 1965-66 terminates
on the 30th September 1966.
At the last ordinary meeting held in Buswells
Hotel on 28th July Mr. Herman Good, B.A.,
LL.B., solicitor, delivered a very informative and
enjoyable
lecture on Criminal Legal Practice,
which was followed by a lively and interesting
discussion.
There will be no lecture in August. The next
lecture will be on the subject of Accounts Systems
by an accountant which will be held in Buswells
Hotel on Thursday, 29th September.
The attention of solicitors
is drawn
to
the
notice appearing elsewhere in the GAZETTE about
the forthcoming joint seminar, this is the second
venture of this kind, the first was held in Mullingar
on 26th and 27th March 1966 and was very
successful.
The attendance was such that hotels within a
radius of ten miles were filled. It is anticipated
that there will be an attendance of between 300
and 400 at Cork, accommodation has been arran
ged for about 200 as it is anticipated that there
will be a local attendance of about 80.
Early bookings will facilitate Mr. D. Moloney
of 44 South Mall, Cork, in getting people suitably
accommodated and arranging for extra accommo-
31
dation as required. Bookings open on 1st Septem
ber 1966.
HOUSE AGENTS' FEES INVESTIGATION
The President of the Board of Trade stated in
a written parliamentary reply that he proposes to
ask the Monopolies Commission to investigate the
arrangements whereby estate agents and others
charge commission at standard rates for services
in selling and leasing house property.
The Government are empowered by the Mon
opolies and Mergers Act, 1965
to enable
the
Commission to investigate restrictive arrangements
in the provision of services. This is the first major
reference under those powers.
Such a reference does not prejudge the question
whether the matter to be investigated is contrary
to the public interest. It is for the Commission
to report when they have established the facts.
The comment of
the Royal
Institution of
Chartered Surveyors was that estate agency was
not a monopoly. Their spokesman stated
that
agents did much abortive work; many buyers,
for instance, failed to raise sufficient capital to
complete the sale. The scale was far lower than
most in America and on
the Continent. Bona
fide estate agents had nothing to fear and nothing
to hide from
the Commission. The Institution
would
submit
evidence
to
the Commission—
London Times,
25/6/66.
SCALE OF MINIMUM FEES OF COUNSEL
FOR CONVEYANCING AND ADVICE ON
TITLE
(1) Advising on title, requisitions and deed and
directing searches :
Where the consideration is
under £1,000 .............................. £770
between £1,000 and £2,000 ............ £990
between £2,000 and £3,000 ............ £12 12
0
between £3,000 and £4,000 ............ £15 15
0
between £4,000 and £7,000 ............ £21
0
0
between £7,000 and £10,000 ......... £26
5
0
exceeds £10,000 :
£1-1-0 per additional £1,000.
(2) Advising on title, settling requisitions and
directing searches (without settling deed) :
deduct
£2-2-0.
(3) Where counsel is required to give further
advice on any point arising from the requisitions
on title or replies thereto or otherwise :
£4-4-0.
(4) Advising vendor on title and settling con
tract or conditions of sale :
the scale set out at (1)
above shall apply.