Bloemfontein

Responses from 9 law firms, representing 57 partners, of whom 13 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					78%
Dial up					22%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 480	R 350	R 250
Low			R 250	R 150	R 60
Average			R 318	R 276	R 122
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 85
Low					R 6
Average					R 38
Did not respond					11%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 100	R 100	R 100	R 100	R 100
Low	R 45	R 45	R 45	R 45	R 45
Average	R 71	R 67	R 71	R 71	R 70
Did not respond	56%	67%	56%	56%	59%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 275	R 275	R 275
Low			R 50	R 50	R 50
Average			R 196	R 196	R 196
Did not respond			33%	33%	33%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					22%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					11%
Discounting of fees
High					40%
Low					12%
Average					23%
Did not respond					22%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					44%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 0.6
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					30
Low					7
Average					15
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					44%
Over already					23%
Less than 6 months					22%
Less than 1 year					11%
More than 1 year					0%

Links to the regional results
Main survey results
Cape Town
Durban
East London
George
Johannesburg - East
Johannesburg - Sandton
Johannesburg - South
Johannesburg - West
Pietermaritzburg
Port Elizabeth
Pretoria