Durban

Responses from 21 law firms, representing 60 partners, of whom 28 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					67%
Dial up					33%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 500	R 350	R 200
Low			R 150	R 125	R 30
Average			R 280	R 237	R 101
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 195
Low					R 4
Average					R 83
Did not respond					22%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 85	R 85	R 60	R 95	R 82
Low	R 50	R 50	R 50	R 50	R 50
Average	R 61	R 61	R 53	R 68	R 61
Did not respond	76%	76%	76%	76%	76%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 250	R 500	R 500
Low			R 100	R 100	R 100
Average			R 170	R 220	R 220
Did not respond			24%	24%	24%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					24%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					None
Discounting of fees
High					33%
Low					10%
Average					20%
Did not respond					29%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					29%
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					27
Low					3
Average					11
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					43%
Over already					15%
Less than 6 months					15%
Less than 1 year					15%
More than 1 year					12%

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