Glasgow Solicitors Blog from The GLP

The building society sector is dominating lending to first-time buyers and is set for further growth in 2013, according to Deloitte, the business advisory firm.

A thirty-seven-year old man has been imprisoned for 8 months and given six penalty points on his driving licence after being caught driving his motorcycle at 122mph, reports the BBC.

The number of properties selling for over £1 million increased in 2012, reaching the highest level since the height of the housing boom in 2007, according to latest research from Lloyds TSB.

The Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee is deepening its investigation into the effectiveness of current practices and guidelines aimed at tackling and preventing the sexual exploitation of children.

A draft European law on mortgages took one step closer to becoming law last week, when a European Parliamentary Committee struck a deal with the Council of Ministers. The proposals have still to be approved by the full Parliament and the EU Commission.

A man was fined £300 and had an 18 month Football Banning Order imposed last week, after being convicted of culpable and reckless conduct during a Scottish Cup fixture between Arbroath and Celtic.

The price of houses in Glasgow and west central Scotland has fallen in the past three months, and now stands 4.9% lower than this time last year, according to new figures from the GSPC.

The Scottish Court Service (SCS) has published its report and recommendations on ‘Shaping Scotland’s Court Services’ following its consideration of responses received from public consultation.

While recent data suggests that homeowners have been choosing to remain on their existing mortgage deals while interest rates are low, the latest research from Bank of Scotland indicates that more homeowners in Scotland are considering remortgaging this year and would be willing to do so for a monthly average saving of £135.

A 31-year-old woman was imprisoned for eight months this week after being caught driving while five times over the legal limit. According to the Daily Record, it was the third time that Louise Seatter had been caught drink driving.

Two men convicted of sending parcel bombs to Celtic Manager Neil Lennon and others have lost their appeal against their convictions. Trevor Muirhead and Neil McKenzie were sentenced to five years imprisonment in April last year.

The Scottish Parliamentary Finance Committee has supported the general principles contained in a Bill that will introduce a new Land and Buildings Transaction Tax into Scotland – replacing the old stamp duty tax.

Fictional works often use the term “criminal mastermind” to describe their Machiavellian anti-heroes. Fact is often stranger than fiction and the following show that many real-life criminals are anything but masterminds!

There was an increase in the number of people selling a house in Scotland last month, says the latest housing market survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The number of UK first-time buyers purchasing their first home in any one year reached its highest total in five years in 2012. According to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), 216,200 first-time buyers took the plunge in 2012.

New research, released recently by Confused.com, reveals the top ten motoring convictions that have taken place on UK roads.

The EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol, announced last month that a major investigation has uncovered an extensive criminal network involved in widespread football match-fixing.

Good news on the house price front – the latest Halifax House Price Index reveals that prices in the three months to February were 1.9% higher than in the previous three months. It is the third consecutive time that this measure has shown an increase in prices.

In the middle of last month the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) launched a day of action on speeding drivers.

The Children and Families Bill, also includes the extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees, not just those with children.