The recent High Court case of Baker v Craggs highlights the consequences of failing to register a property within the priority period of a Land Registry search.

Published at the beginning of February, the long- awaited Housing white paper had the admirable purpose of 'fixing our broken housing market'. Whilst its aims are commendable, it carries a number of transactional risks which should be considered by all operating in the property sector.

The recent Grade II listing of No.1 Poultry in the City, designed by James Stirling of Michael Wildford and Associates in the mid-1980s, provides a timely reminder of the significance of listed buildings and the risks associated with altering them. Described in the FT as "one of the last monuments of postmodernism", the building attracted controversy after concerns were raised about proposals to extend and change the principal facades of the building.

The recent case of a fraudulent transfer of 1.2 million (GBP) using the identity of a Kensington homeowner provides a salient reminder of the risk of fraud in lending. As the body that registers land and property in England and Wales, the Land Registry plays an important role in property transactions and preventing fraud. Part of this role is to check that the person registering a title is the true owner. Lenders heavily rely on this information when deciding whether to accept a mortgage application.

2016 was certainly a year of Changes, to quote singer/songwriter David Bowie, whose death in January was for many a portent of the tumultuous year ahead in the political and economic spheres. The three per cent rise in stamp duty on second homes and buy-to-let purchases was greeted with some dismay, particularly as the government's initial consultation had suggested that there could be an exemption for investors buying 15 or more properties.