Stamp Duty Changes
One of the more unpleasant aspects of any house purchase is paying Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT”). It is usually far and away the biggest outlay in any house purchase. According to statistics released by Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre, the average house price in Aberdeen in 2011 was £208,398. This would attract SDLT of £2,083. […]
Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012
The Long Leases (Scotland) Act received Royal Assent on 7 August 2012. The Act will on the “Appointed Day” (the first Martinmas (28th November) falling 2 years after the relevant sections of the Act come into force) convert the tenant’s interest in long leases into outright ownership and extinguish the existing rights of land owners […]
NEW SALES AND LEASING OFFICES
James & George Collie are pleased to announce the opening of two new offices in Aberdeen, one dedicated to the sale of residential properties and the other to residential property leasing. Our dedicated property sales office has recently opened at 450 Union Street, in the heart of Aberdeen city centre. Located between Rose Street and […]
Reflections of a Lady President
Wow, the first woman President of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen – who would have thought it! The Society has been in existence for well over 400 years and yet it was not until the mid 1960s that the first woman was admitted as a member of the Society – another Elizabeth – this […]
WHAT’S THAT COMING OVER THE HILL?………IS IT A MONSTER? NO, IT’S SCARIER THAN THAT – IT’S AUTO-ENROLMENT!
The most seismic change in the provision of benefits in retirement is happening right now, but unbelievably, the majority of employers and employees directly affected by it don’t seem to know anything about it. The largest employers are already complying with the new Auto-Enrolment legislation, but every employer will be obliged to comply over the […]
Ellen’s Babes
This year staff, former staff, various friends, relatives and assorted dogs are taking part in The Race for Life 5k run at Aberdeen Beach on Sunday 30th June to raise money for Cancer Research UK in memory of Ellen McKenzie. Ellen was a dear friend and colleague who sadly died at the end of last […]
Employment Law Update
Settlement Agreements One of the biggest headaches for a small business is navigating its way through the employment laws which afford protection to their employees. More than 90% of all business in the UK are small businesses. There is a perception amongst many that complying with all of the rules and regulations is costly and […]
New Recruits
We are delighted to announce that we have added quite a number of legal staff to our Aberdeen and Stonehaven offices. They are:- Raymond McCombie – Raymond joined our Stonehaven office in February this year as a private client/chamber solicitor; Lili Hunter – Lili, a specialist in employment law, joined our main office in July […]
Powers of Attorney
The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 changed the way Powers of Attorney are dealt with in Scotland, requiring the documents to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before being operated. Postal registration used to take up to 12 weeks, meaning that there was a considerable delay before the […]
Property Sales – 2013 Review
2013 has seen a turnaround in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire property market. There has been a marked increase in both the volume of property sales and the prices achieved. Levels of activity are significantly higher than they were even a year ago. Figures from Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre show a 30% increase in the volume of […]