Quality Practice, certification continues...

Alvaro Edwards Solicitors is and has been a quality endorsed legal practice since April 2005.  The firm is one of the earliest NSW law firms (licence number LAW20005) to achieve this standard.

An outside independent auditing and certification structure for quality systems is required to ensure compliance with international quality standards.  Auditing, consulting and accreditation of ISO standards are provided by independant organisations such as SAI Global.

Today, SAI Global completed its 2012 surveillance audit of Alvaro Edwards Solicitors' quality management systems. 

I'm proud to announce we have again maintained our quality standards certification to Legal Best Practice ISO 9001/LAW 9000.  This can’t happen without the support of all management and staff. 

Comments in the report include:

The firm continues to maintain the quality management system to meet the requirements of the business and LAW9000.  There were no nonconformances raised during this audit...   The firm’s approach to continual improvement is well established... Continual improvement continues to be a focus of the firm...

Why does Alvaro Edwards Solicitors bother with this quality system process?  Simple.  It benefits the way we run our business, which imprtantly translates into a commitment to better serving our clients.

Westmead pips Liverpool to top first home owner grants list

According to the NSW Office of State Revenue (OSR), Liverpool has consistently been at or near the top, on a yearly basis by postcode, in receiving the most first home benefits in NSW in terms of total grants and total value of grants.  I’ve previously commented on this here in 2009, and here in 2010.

According to the latest figures though, Westmead tops that list for the most recent 12 month period to 31 March 2012.  During that period there were 776 first home grants received in the Westmead area (Liverpool 733), totalling over $5.8m.  The first Home Plus benefits for Westmead are respectively 701 by number (2 less than Liverpool) and $9m by value (Liverpool, $8m).

The OSR’s pdf summary sheet is here. 

Liverpool, however, easily tops the “all-time” NSW list for 1 July 2000 to 31 March 2012, in both total number of grants and by value of first home benefits.  Interestingly, Westmead comes in at second place.  The OSR’s figures for these are in this pdf summary here.

NSW OSR releases video summarising available first home buyers' benefits

Just a little while ago, I started preparing, and checking, for a post I expected to publish on this blog within about a week from now.

The subject was about what benefits, including firt home owner's benefits, are presently still available for home and land buyers in NSW.

I've just learnt that my work's been cut out for me!

The NSW Office of State Revenue has just released a YouTube video it describes as providing a "summary of the first home benefits available from the NSW Government".

Rather than me ramble on, have a look at the "video".  Well... it's more of a slide show with lots of text really but hey, if you're an intending first home buyer, the real vaue is in the content, not the presentation.

There are some other limited concessions available for property buyers, but more on those later.

Signing a contract outside of your solicitor's office? Be wary of last minute added clauses

In NSW, real estate agents are authorised by law to exchange contracts for the sale of residential property.  That authority is not unlimited however.

The law provides, paraphrased,  that a real estate agent may, presumably after a buyer has been found and a sale negotiated between the buyer and seller:

• complete parts only of a proposed contract (usually one that’s already been prepared by the seller’s solicitor or conveyancer) by inserting details of the buyer’s name and address, the name and address of the solicitor/conveyancer acting for the buyer, the price, and the date;
• insert in or delete from a contract description of any furnishings or chattels to included in the sale; and
• as stated, and providing they’re authorised by the seller or their solicitor/conveyancer “participate in the exchange or making of contracts”.

Despite these clear and limited provisions, it isn’t uncommon to find agents that regularly do more, sometimes much more, than this. 

It’s also not uncommon for contracts ending up in court litigating the meaning of clauses apparently quickly drafted and added very late to contracts; though well intended, ended up being difficult to understand or to make workable.

Regardless of their outcome, court cases are expensive and stressful.  If you find yourself in a situation negotiating the buying or selling of a property and clauses being drafted and added to a land sale contract by anyone other than through negotiations via the parties’ lawyers, think about what’s stated above.  You need to be aware of the risks.  If in doubt, it may be easier to just not sign, and to consult your lawyer.